Halton police warn of increase in online extortion incidents
Published January 25, 2022 at 9:46 am
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) – 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau has seen an increase in online extortion investigations in recent weeks.
Sextortion is a form of blackmail and saving an intimate image without permission constitutes voyeurism.
Police say that these incidents typically begin with a message from an unknown sender to a victim which leads to private conversations on other applications such as Snapchat or Instagram.
According to police, the suspect will then attempt to extort the victim for money, with images or videos they obtained through the chat.
Halton Police are reminding the community of the importance of safe internet practices to avoid becoming victims of such scams.
Some tips include not engaging in conversations with strangers, never sharing intimate images online and not doing anything on camera that you’re not comfortable with your friends or family seeing.
Videos
Anyone with information regarding these types of offences is asked to contact Detective Constable Carson McAulay of the 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext 2442.
Sextortion can also be reported to the Halton Regional Police Service by calling their non-emergency number at 905-825-4777. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
For additional online safety tips and an informative video about sextortion, click here.
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