Police warn sextortion complaints on the rise

With people spending more time at home because of the pandemic, Gatineau Police (SPVG) noted a considerable spike in the number if sextortion complaints in the city since April. According to a press release issued by the SPVG on August 5, sextortion refers to an extortion or blackmailing tactic involving the use of sexually explicit images and videos while the victim is unaware. It explained that perpetrators typically use the compromising content to get favours or money from their victim. 

Noting that cyber predators are sometimes from foreign places, some have become adept at convincing people to perform intimate gestures in front of webcams. Pointing to a 2D sextortion sensitization campaign held in December of 2014, the SPVG said the number of cyber predators continues to grow despite its best efforts of keeping the population aware. It added that the pandemic may have played a role in the augmentation of complaints, with more people staying home than usual.

Typically, sextortion sees victims getting invited to social media chatting platforms where the conversation usually leads to a webcam, particularly on the Hangouts platform in many of the SPVG’s complaints. It usually follows with seduction to get the victim to show themselves naked and make sexual gestures, while they’re often being recorded when they think they’re interacting with someone else. One of the complaints saw someone victimized with a photo spread of themselves after sending a folder to someone who they thought was a friend.

For everyone’s safety, the SPVG is advising people not to make sexual gestures on the internet even if it’s believed to be in privacy; to be extra careful when sharing pictures or using a webcam; to be aware of the potential dangers of chatting with a stranger and not let things get too intimate too quickly; to beware when someone says they can’t speak verbally during a webchat because their microphone doesn’t work; and to never send money or financial information to someone you don’t know or trust.

Those with sextortion complaints are called on to contact their local police station.