FRAUD WARNING: Locals report being targets of sextortion

The Thunder Bay Police Service would like to make the public aware of an apparent increase in complaints about sextortion threats.

Sextortion occurs when someone acquires a person’s intimate or private photographs and threatens to make them public. The intimate photographs, or videos, may be given to the would-be sextortionist by the victim or the content may have been stolen. In either case, the content is being used to extort the victim.

Sextorters convince their victims to exchange sexual content and often start the trade by sharing a sexual photo first. The targeted person then sends a sexual photo or video, or are tricked into exposing themselves or engaging in a sexual act over a livestream and being unknowingly recorded. Immediately after receiving the sexual content, the sextorter will make their demands.

The Thunder Bay Police Service strongly encourages the public not to share photos online with people they do not know personally.

However, if you do find yourself in this situation:

1. Immediately stop talking to them. Deactivate (but don’t delete) any of the accounts you’re using to communicate with the sextorter.

2. DO NOT give in to threats. So, never pay money and never send additional nudes. The situation won’t get better. If you’ve already paid money, check to see if it has been collected. If it hasn’t - quickly cancel the payment.

3. Keep a copy of the messages and information about the sextorter like their username(s), social media account information, and any images or videos that were sent.

4. Make a report to the Thunder Bay Police through the non-emergency line at (807) 684-1200.

The above tips will help protect you against sextortion, however, please be aware that there is ALWAYS risk to your privacy when sending intimate digital content.

To learn more about sextortion scams, and other scams, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm or Cybertip at https://www.cybertip.ca/en/online-harms/sextortion/.