Police Warn About Recent Rise In 'Sex-tortion' Crimes

RYE, NY — Rye police are warning about an uptick in online sexual predators using the internet to blackmail victims after obtaining compromising photographs or videos.

The so-called "sex-tortion" schemes have become a growing concern to police officials in recent weeks, with social media users reporting they have fallen victim to the confidence schemes. According to RPD, the scams typically involve the victim being lured into sending explicit photos or videos to someone who has befriended them online, then being blackmailed into sending money, bitcoin or gift cards to prevent potentially humiliating images from being distributed to their friends list.

"These people will build your trust and use a moment of weakness against you," police officials said in a warning to the public. "They will then feed off of your embarrassment to get what they want."

Officials said there are a few simple steps that can help keep you or your loved ones safe from online predators:

• Do not accept random or unknown friend requests.
• Do not partake in sexualized video chats.
• Do not send money.
• To protect yourself further, cover or disconnect all webcams when not in use.

Anyone who falls victim to this can and should report this scam to their local police department or the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.