Victim Falls For ‘Sextortion’ Scam

A Johnston County man has fallen victim to a sextortion scam. Local authorities are now investigating.

The 26 year-old victim reported that he was on an adult dating site recently and began communicating with a woman. She requested he send nude photos. After sending the photos, the woman said she would send his nude pictures to all of his Facebook friends unless he paid her $500. The victim said he didn’t have $500 but did have $350 which he sent.

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), extortion is among the top three most common internet scams. Scammers blackmail victims into giving them money with threats to expose images or pornographic videos.

The BBB says to never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are – or who they say they are. No matter what the email threatens, do not respond. Do not open attachments or click links in emails from people you do not know. To give you peace of mind, keep webcams covered when not in use, the BBB recommends.