The Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department is experiencing a rise in cases involving an old scam we’ve seen time and time again. In most instances, a random account will message the victim via SnapChat and pretend they got the wrong person, but then start chatting with them. They’ll identify as a teenager, eventually ask for their Instagram profile or other Social Media. Once you’ve shared your social media, they screen shot your Followers and Following lists or Friends list. The scammer slowly turns the chat sexual in nature and eventually requests lewd images from the victim. Once the photos or videos are sent, they immediately demand money, show you the screenshots from your Social Media and threaten to send the lewd photos to everyone you know, unless you pay them several hundred dollars.
The Sheriff’s Department strongly advises you never exchange photos with a stranger that you wouldn’t share with friends and family. Additionally, parents should talk to their children about these risks and the importance of blocking people you don’t know. A couple of resources are listed below.
https://www.safesearchkids.com/cell-phones-for-kids/
https://cyberbullying.org/cell-phone-safety-top-ten-tips…
Original source can be found here.
