Peterborough County OPP are warning residents about a sextortion scam circulating in the region.
OPP say the most recent case was reported last week.
Police say the scammers use fake profiles on social media and dating sites and invite victim to participate in online conversations. The chats eventually become sex-related and the victim is asked to send sexually explicit photographs of themselves.
Once the photos are received, the suspect will demand a sum of money in exchange for not exposing the explicit photos to the victim’s friends and co-workers online.
OPP did not provide any specifics on the most recent case.
They encourage victims of this type of exploitation or similar crimes to report the incident. They also advise people to learn about internet safety by visiting opp.ca, cybertip.ca and getcybersafe.gc.ca.