Alberta RCMP warn of social media extortion trend

Jun 29, 2021 | 4:18 PM

Alberta RCMP say they have received a number of reports throughout central and southern Alberta where social media platforms were used in an effort to extort money from individuals.

In a number of cases, Mounties say the victims received friend requests from what has been typically a female, or other messages on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and/or on a dating application, that subsequently moved to direct messaging on various platforms.

Police say the victims involved have sent a nude image(s) and the suspect(s) subsequently made demands that the victim send them money or their image(s) will be sent out to all of their contacts, friends and/or family.

RCMP say it is common for offenders to follow a victim’s friends and family on social media platforms as a way to demonstrate they can follow through on threats to share the image(s) if the victim does not comply.

Mounties further advise to beware that offenders are utilizing filters available on certain apps that allow them to appear younger than they are on images and also on live streams.

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Prevention tips include:

Do not accept friend requests from individuals who are unknown to you
Do not send nude images
Immediately stop all communication if someone is demanding money
Do not comply with the threat and report to your local police
Keep the correspondence

For further information, visit dontgetsextorted.ca and needhelpnow.ca for resources on how to manage instances of sextortion and sexting, as well as where to turn for support.

For more information on offender tactics and warning signs, go to cybertip.ca/sextortion.

by rdnewsNOW Staff