Sextortion warning from Wiltshire Police

A police alert has been issued following reports of sextortion.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which a criminal uses a fake identity to lure a victim into performing explicit acts in front of a webcam.

The criminal then threatens to reveal these images online unless the victim gives in to their demands.

Anyone can be a victim, and detectives from Wiltshire Police's Central CID are currently conducting enquiries in relation to a number of cases.

In one instance, a man in his 20s had been talking to a woman on social media and sent her a compromising picture, only for her to demand £500 and threaten to send the image to his friends and family.

In a similar incident, another man in his 20s was told he must send 500 Euros to blackmailers who threatened to send a nude image of him to all of his Facebook contacts.

Detective Constable Ryan Churchley said: “We are beginning to see a bit of an increase in incidents of this nature reported to police, and with a younger generation that live and breathe social media and may be naïve to the consequences resulting from their actions, we felt it pertinent to raise awareness of the issues surrounding sextortion.

“The vast majority of these types of incidents are perpetrated by professional criminals trying to make easy money. Victims are often, but not always, targeted because they have visited certain internet sites, where criminals lie in wait.”

People who think they may be a victim are asked to call 101 and report their concerns.

For under 18s, additional support is available via Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP).