Public Safety Alert, Police warning on social network scam

Public Safety Alert, Police warning on social network scam

Thursday, December 24, 2015 - 10:59 AM
52 Division:  416-808-5200

The Toronto Police Service would like to make the public aware, once again, of an ongoing scam targeting male users of social networks.

It is reported that:

- male users on social networks that have messaging features, such as WeCHAT, Facebook, Skype, and Kijiji, to name a few, receive a request to privately message them

- the person requesting either is, or purports to be, female, and suggests moving from private messages to video chat

- the video chats become sexual in nature

- the requester then records the video chats of the male in compromising acts

- the requester then uploads the video to YouTube and sends the male a link

- the male is then extorted to send money or gift-cards under the threat of releasing the video publicly

It is believed the requesters are not from Canada.

People should be aware of the potential of internet scams, and should never disclose anything on non-secure/non-trusted sites.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.

Please download the Toronto Police Service Mobile App for iOS or Android.

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

Constable Craig Brister, Corporate Communications, for Detective Constable Robert Stibbe, 52 Division