'Sextortion' scammers try to blackmail three young West Sussex men
It's led to warnings from police about interacting with strangers online
Police are warning about the dangers of 'sextortion' after three young men in West Sussex were blackmailed.
The victims, who were aged between 15 and 20, were being threatened with having intimate videos of themselves shared online by a contact they started speaking to on Instagram.
The perpetrators demanded thousands of pounds from each, but all did not pay money and instead contacted the police.
Sussex Police said all three of the incidents had taken place earlier in February.
Sextortion is a form of blackmail where a perpetrator threatens to reveal intimate images of the victim online unless they give in to their demands. These demands are typically for money or further images.
Criminals might befriend victims online by using a fake identity and then persuade them to perform sexual acts in front of their webcam.
They will then threaten to share the images with the victims’ friends and family which can make the victims feel embarrassed and ashamed, and prevent them from coming forward to report the incident.
DC Matt Watson of Sussex Police said:
"Sextortion is an awful and exploitative crime, commonly carried out through social media sites. It causes extreme distress to victims who may feel too embarrassed to come forward and report the incidents.
"Although it can be committed by individuals, organised crime is commonly behind it. Perpetrators can be located anywhere, with many based overseas.
"Most worryingly, we have seen cases involving victims who are under 18. Perpetrators viewing, downloading or forwarding any such video are carrying out further serious criminal offences.
"Please be wary of requests from strangers online. We urge people not to share intimate videos or engage in sexual activity with people they don't know."
Here's how to stay safe from sextortion and blackmail via webcam:
Do not share intimate videos online;
Do not get lured into compromising situations such as removing clothes or performing intimate acts online;
Always remember that what goes online may well stay online;
Be wary about who you invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites, not accepting friendship requests from strangers;
Update the privacy settings on your social networking accounts so only people you know can view your account and your friends;
Do not include any sensitive, private or confidential information in profiles;
Quickly block nuisance and fraudulent users from further contact with you and also report them for abuse;
If you become a victim of this type of scam, do not respond to the blackmailer's demands, but report the issue to the police and the site being used;
If you think that you have already been persuaded by anyone to part with payment details, contact your bank or card issuer immediately.
Anyone who has been the victim of cyber related blackmail is asked to come forward and report it to police online, or by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. They can also report directly to Action Fraud.