Warning to the public after an increase in sextortion reports to local police

Monday, 12 September 2022 01:00

Following a number of incidents of sextortion reported to police this year, Wiltshire Police are making the public aware of the dangers of sextortion and what it means.

Wiltshire Police explain, "Sextortion is a form of blackmail where a criminal uses a fake identity to lure a victim into performing explicit acts in front of a webcam and then threatens to reveal these images online unless they give into their demands.

"Anyone can be a victim of sextortion."

Detectives from central CID in Wiltshire Police are currently conducting enquiries in relation to a number of cases of sextortion.

In a case shared with Love Salisbury from Wiltshire Police, a man in his 20s had been talking to a woman on social media and had sent her a compromising picture. According to the police, she then told him to send her £500 or she will send the image to all his friends and family.

In a similar incident shared with Love Salisbury, another man also aged in his 20s had been told he must send 500 euros to unknown individuals online, and if he failed to do so, they would send a nude image of him to all his Facebook contacts.

Det Con Ryan Churchley said, “We are beginning to see a bit of an increase in incidents of this nature reported to police and with a younger generation that live and breathe social media and may be naïve to the consequences resulting from their actions, we felt it pertinent to raise awareness of the issues surrounding sextortion.

“The vast majority of these types of incidents are perpetrated by professional criminals trying to make easy money. Victims are often, but not always, targeted because they have visited certain internet sites, where criminals lie in wait.”

If you think you may be a victim, call 101 to report your concerns. For under 18s, additional support is available via Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP).

For the latest local news in Salisbury like Love Salisbury on Facebook or tune into Salisbury Radio on DAB or online.

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