Provincial police in Elgin County are reminding residents to be careful who they friend on social media after a man was defrauded out of $7,500 in a sextortion scam.
Men are typically targeted in this sort of scam, which begins when they accept a friend request on Facebook or WeChat from a stranger, according to Elgin OPP.
The stranger asks the victim to video chat and eventually engage in online sexual activity, which is recorded. The victim is then told the recording will be sent to their social media contacts unless they pay the stranger money.
To avoid becoming a victim of this type of scam, the OPP recommends not accepting friend requests from unknown individuals. Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a sextortion scam can call police at 1-888-310-1122 or report it to the Canadian Anti Fraud Center at 1-888-495-8501.
