Don't send those photos

Dawson Creek

2023-01-11 12:27 PST

File # 2023-131

The Dawson Creek RCMP are urging the public to beware of a common scam circulating over social media.

The Dawson Creek RCMP have received several complaints from members of the public who have sent intimate photos of themselves to strangers over social media who are then extorted for money. Often the scammer threatens to send the intimate photo to the victim’s friends and family over social media unless they pay them.

There are several consistencies often displayed by scammers that the public should be cautious of. The scammer’s profile often appears to belong to an attractive woman. The scammer adds or messages the victim without any prior contact and starts up a conversation that quickly turns intimate. The scammer or their profile name is unknown to the victim and they do not have any contacts in common.

Once the scammer has intimate photos or videos of the victim they will demand money from the victim and threaten to release the photos or videos to the victim’s friends and family over social media. There have been instances where the photos have been circulated.

The Dawson Creek RCMP urge victims of this crime never to send the scammer money when threatened and block all communication with the scammer. The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to not send intimate photos to strangers over social media in the first place. Once intimate photos are released, there is no way to retract them.

The Dawson Creek RCMP urge parents to monitor their children’s social media usage as victims of this crime range all ages and backgrounds. Please contact the Dawson Creek RCMP at 250-784-3700 if you have been a victim of this type of scam.

Released by

Cst. Emma Baron

Email: Emma.Baron@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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