Sextortion scams are on the rise, with two teenagers targeted on the Northern Beaches last week.
Sextortion is defined by NSW Police as ‘a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate personal images of you online unless their demands are met.’
On 3 July, a 17-year-old male from Avalon allegedly received a message on Instagram from a scammer purporting to be a woman. As the conversation became sexual, they allegedly shared intimate photos. Soon after, the scammer allegedly demanded $500 payment otherwise they would share the teenager’s intimate photos with his contacts. The teenager attempted to pay the extortion fee with an Amazon gift card, which Amazon declined after detecting anomalies.
Police were contacted and arrived at the teenager’s home in time to hear the scammer extorting the victim on the phone. The male scammer had an American accent and his comments lead police to be believe he lives in Texas.
Just a few days later on 5 July, a 17-year-old male from Beacon Hill was also targeted in a sextortion scam. The teenager was using Telegram to communicate with somebody he thought was a woman and it is alleged that he shared intimate images of himself. The person on the other end demanded $300 or they would share the images with the teenager’s contacts. The teenager’s parent became aware of the extortion, blocked the scammer and promptly reported it to police. It is believed the scammer is based in the Philippines.
Both victims reported the incidents to police and blocked the scammers from making further contact.