WYANDOTTE, Mich. – Local 4 is learning of more cases of a type of scam that’s come to be known as sextortion.
The Wyandotte Police Department has put out a warning Monday (Feb. 20) as some cases have turned tragic.
A man went to the cops after sending nude photos to a stranger online as it was a trap.
Police say a person posing as a woman friended the person on social media, gained his trust, and got him to send compromising private photos and then was immediately threatened that he if did not pay up, the photos would go public.
Local 4 Crime and Safety expert Darnell Blackburn says this is serious stuff.
“We would encourage you not to send new pictures to somebody that you know, let alone someone that you don’t,” said Blackburn. “If you meet somebody initially, of course, you know you don’t know that person, but if you’re sending these types of pictures to anybody, they can try to sextort you.”
Not only is it serious, but it’s also been deadly in Michigan as 17-year-old Jordan Demay took his own life after evil strangers tricked him into sending pics, then threatened to ruin his life.
“They can come back to haunt you on every level, professional, personal, from extortion to trying to find a job later on,” Blackburn said.
The person in Wyandotte ultimately ended up shutting down his social media and made a police report.
More: FBI: Adults pose as young girls online to coerce boys to send sexual images, then demand money
