Victim loses over $1,000 in ‘sextortion’ scam, Guelph police say

Police said a 21-year-old Guelph man recently lost $1,200 in a “sextortion” scam.

They said he was among the victims in more than a dozen scams they have investigated this year.

Police said he chatted on social media with someone he believed to be a woman and sent the unknown user several explicit pictures.

Then the man was reportedly put into a group chat, created by the suspect, involving his friends and family.

Police said the victim panicked after the suspect threatened to release the photos and he e-transferred $1,200 to an address in the Philippines.

Afterwards, the scammer deleted their social media account.

Police said sextortion scams typically involve someone being contacted on social media and interacting with scammers. The interactions involve the victim sharing intimate pictures or videos and the scammer then threatens to publish them in exchange for money.

Police said to change your settings so you can limit who sees your posts and if you’re not comfortable sharing something online, don’t post it.

Also, before you post police add it’s important to know that anyone can download, alter and edit.

They said such scams are nearly impossible to trace and remind residents to be extra careful when sharing personal information or pictures online.

In more than a dozen such scams this year, police said victims suffered financial losses between $200 and $1,500.