A Guelph man was reportedly taken for $1,000 in an online sextortion scam.
Guelph police report they were contacted by an adult male Monday. He reported he met the suspect, who he understood to be a female, on a popular dating website. The pair began chatting on social media and eventually the male sent three images of himself nude.
A short time later, he received a demand to pay $1,000 or the images would be shared with his social media contacts. The male paid via e-transfer.
Police believe the suspect is located outside of Canada and used an online program to translate their messages to English.
Guelph police offers tips to keep in mind when communicating with people online:
- Do not share personal information such as birth date or financial information with someone you have only met online.
- Watch for poorly-written or vague messages.
- Look for inconsistencies between their online profile and what they are telling you.
- Never send intimate photos. These can be used for extortion.
- Be cautious when messaging someone who claims to live close to you but is working overseas.
