New Brunswick RCMP are warning about a string of online extortion cases targeting youth in recent months.
The Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, which includes members of the Saint John Police Force and the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force, said there has been a “significant increase” in these cases and is investigating several reports across the province.
“Individuals are creating fraudulent profiles on social media platforms, such as Snapchat and Instagram, and are using these profiles to befriend teenage boys between 15 and 17 years old,” police explained in a release.
“They then convince the victims to share intimate images and videos with them, and then proceed to blackmail them for money, gift cards, and e-currency, and threaten to share the intimate images and videos with family and friends if they do not pay.”
Police believe these profiles are being created by overseas organized crime groups, and members are working with international law enforcement as part of the investigation.
The rise in cases has been seen across the country.
Cybertip, Canada’s tip line for reporting online child sexual abuse, had an average of 20 reports a month for this type of sexploitation in 2021.
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In an update this summer, Cybertip said they had opened case files for 322 victims of sextortion in July of this year.
When the gender was known, 92 per cent of the cases involved males and half of the victims were under the age of 18. Of those who disclosed which social media app was used for the sextortion, 42 per cent said Instagram, 38 per cent said Snapchat, 5.6 per cent said Whatsapp and 3.6 per cent said Facebook.
While it may be difficult for teens to open up and discuss these incidents, RCMP said it’s important that people call police when they’ve been the victim of online extortion.
Victims are advised not to pay money. Reporting these crimes, police said, can help put an end to the blackmailing and help track down the people responsible.
“We are also asking parents to talk to their children, especially if they are teenagers using Snapchat and other social media platforms,” said Cpl. Hans Ouellette, of the New Brunswick RCMP, in the release.
“There are many resources available to parents to help them have conversations with their children about staying safe online.”
Where to get help
Visit Canada’s national cyber tip line Cybertip.ca to report online sexual abuse/exploitation, the non-consensual distribution of intimate images or other forms of online victimization of children.
If you have been a victim of online extortion, or if you have information that could help with the investigation, call local police or Crime Stoppers.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
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