Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are sounding the alarm on "sextortion" scams, in which a victim's intimate photos or videos are used for blackmail.
On Thursday around 8:37 p.m., police were called to an address in Middlesex Centre about a sextortion complaint after a teen had reportedly taken an explicit photo of themselves.
The youth alleges that an unknown social media follower said they had found the photo and would share it with the victim's family and friends unless a fee was paid.
Police say the teen made a single payment to the unknown suspect, but when a second payment was demanded, the youth told their parents and local police what was going on.
"The Middlesex OPP is reminding members of the public, in particular our teenage population, to think twice about taking intimate photos and videos," said a statement from police.
It is unknown whether or not the suspect was truly in possession of the photo, according to police.
"Remember, there is always a risk in sharing intimate images over the internet," Middlesex County OPP said. "Before you hit 'send' remember, you no longer have control over that image."
If you get caught in a sextortion scam, police advise screenshotting any messages and usernames involved, blocking the account on social media, and immediately contacting authorities.
OPP can be contacted from anywhere in Ontario at 1-888-310-1122.
More information about current fraud trends can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's website.
