THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Service is warning the public of an apparent increase in local complaints about sextortion threats.
In a release issued Thursday, the police service reported an uptick in complaints of sextortion, which involves threatening to make intimate photographs or footage of a person public.
The extorters are typically strangers encountered through social media apps like Snapchat, based on local complaints, said a police spokesperson.
“Sextorters convince their victims to exchange sexual content and often start the trade by sharing a sexual photo first,” the force stated. “The targeted person then sends a sexual photo or video, or are tricked into exposing themselves or engaging in a sexual act over a livestream and being unknowingly recorded.”
The police service said it strongly encourages members of the public not to share intimate photos or footage online with people they do not know personally.
For those who do find themselves in that situation, however, the service advises the following:
- Immediately stop talking to the extorter. Deactivate (but don’t delete) any of the accounts you’re using to communicate with them.
- Do no give in to threats. Never pay money, and never send additional nudes. The situation won’t get better. If you’ve already paid money, check to see if it has been collected. If it hasn’t - quickly cancel the payment.
- Keep a copy of the messages and information about the sextorter, like their username(s), social media account information, and any images or videos that were sent.
- Make a report to Thunder Bay police through the non-emergency line at (807) 684-1200.
Residents can learn more about sextortion at the CyberTip! website, an organization dedicated to reporting and prevention sexual exploitation of youth.
