Guelph are once again reminding residents to be cautious when communicating with someone they don’t know, especially online or over the phone, after a second so-called ‘sextortion’ report this week.
On Thursday, a 44-year-old Guelph man contacted police. He reported he had been communicating with someone he believed was a female via social media. The man had shared intimate images and the suspect was threatening to send them to his contacts unless he paid money. The male sent $250 via etransfer before contacting police.
Earlier in the week, another man reported a similar situation in which he had sent $700 in etransfers and prepaid gift cards.
Due to the technology used in these scams, and that the suspects are often believed to be operating from another country, they are very difficult to investigate and recovering lost funds is nearly impossible. Residents are strongly encouraged to be cautious when communicating with parties previously unknown to them, and to avoid providing sensitive information including photographs.
