The Vanderhoof RCMP are sounding the alarm on a sextortion scam in the community.
On Monday, police received a report of a sextortion attempt from a local resident.
The victim reportedly sent intimate photos on a social media platform to someone they had only met online.
The victim then began receiving phone calls from an unknown man, threatening to release the photos to friends and family if they didn’t pay.
According to police, scammers create fake profiles on social media and dating sites to lure unsuspecting victims into a relationship.
They then coerce them to perform sexual acts on camera or to send photos.
Those sessions are recorded and the images are then used to extort further sexual imagery or money, which police say is unlikely to make the threats stop.
“We urge the public not to share intimate photos through social media or online, even if you know and trust the recipient,” said Cpl. Steven McLean of the Vanderhoof RCMP.
“Once those images have been sent, you lose any control of how they might be used.”
If you are the victim of sextortion, immediately block the suspect on all social media platforms and contact your local police.