Police concern over ‘sextortion’ crimes

Scottish Borders Police has advised victims of so-called ‘sextortion’ crimes in the Borders to report them.
By Paul Kelly
Published 30th Jun 2022, 14:58 BST
Updated 30th Jun 2022, 15:53 BST
Police have warned Borderers to inform them if they are being exploited online.Police have warned Borderers to inform them if they are being exploited online.
Police have warned Borderers to inform them if they are being exploited online.

More and more social media users are falling victim to an unpleasant type of scam.

These often involve the victim being enticed to send nude or explicit photographs or videos to someone that has befriended them online.

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The victims are then blackmailed into sending money – or on occasions gift cards – to prevent the images being distributed among people they know.

Scottish Borders Police want anyone who finds themselves blackmailed in this way to contact 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Victims will be provided with support and complaints will be taken in absolute confidence.

A police spokesperson said: “The scam is particularly aimed at men between the ages of 18 and 44, but we have reports of both male and female victims aged from teens to 60s.

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“Young people living away from home can be particularly vulnerable to this type of scam. Our advice is to be extremely cautious regarding online contacts and chat – don’t give out your personal details, be sceptical of anyone wishing to move the conversation to another platform, and do not give anyone the chance to exploit or blackmail you.”