Wellington County OPP warn public of online sextortion

A conversation on social media with a stranger turned into a sextortion investigation by the Wellington County OPP.

In a media release Wednesday afternoon, the OPP said they received a report on Jan. 25 of a sextortion case.

“Sextortion is a form of extortion where a blackmailer uses the threat of publishing or sending intimate images or videos to contacts, unless the victim meets their demands,” officials said in the release.

The OPP said the 21-year-old victim was originally contacted by a stranger on Snapchat, and they eventually exchanged intimate images.

The suspect reportedly accessed the victim’s Instagram account and threatened to send the intimate images to their friends and family if they didn’t send over $500.

Officials said the victim initially complied and sent the money, but when the suspected demanded more funds, the victim contacted police.

In a statement to CTV, an OPP spokesperson said the victim did not want to proceed with charges to protect their privacy.

“To respect their wishes and desire for privacy the OPP conducted a limited investigation,” said Cst. Jacob Unger. “Unfortunately these types of occurrences are becoming increasingly common. Investigating these types of crimes is very involved, requiresmany resources and often involves multiple agencies.”

“If it seems too good to be true, it usually is; and, if someone is asking for intimate images within thirty minutes of just meeting, you should begin to question their motives,“ added Cst. Unger.

The OPP said this type of case is a reminder to residents to follow safe internet practices like not sharing intimate images online.