Sextortion scams are a type of phishing attack where scammers create fake profiles on social media and dating websites and lure you into performing sexual acts on camera and/or providing intimate photos of yourself.  The scammer then threatens to send the image(s) or video to people you know unless you pay money or provide more sexual content.

These types of scams are designed to play on your emotions so that you will “take the bait” and pay the “ransom” or provide more photos/images.

How to protect yourself
  • Recognize that live-streaming can be recorded, and that pre-recorded video can be live-streamed
  • Familiarize yourself with social media privacy settings and consider limiting who has access to your personal information (i.e., friend’s list, location)
  • Beware of unknown persons who attempt to communicate with you over the internet. Unless you know the person offline, there is no way to confirm who is on the other end
  • Never send compromising photos/videos of yourself to anyone, regardless of who you may think the person is
  • Do not store sensitive/intimate images or information online or on your mobile device
  • Trust your instincts, be skeptical and cautious
What to do if you are a victim of a Sextortion scam
  • Do not engage with the scammer and immediately stop all communication
  • Do not comply with the threat and do not pay the “ransom”. If you are tempted to pay the “ransom”, you should be aware that doing so will likely encourage the scammer to keep trying to extort more money from you
  • If you have suffered a monetary loss, file an online police report
  • Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by providing the person’s username and social media account information
  • Report the fake account to the social media platform 

When completing the online Sextortion report, please:

  • Provide the username and social media account information being used by the scammer
  • The amount of money paid and the method of payment (i.e., e-transfer, gift cards, etc.,)
  • If money was paid by e-transfer, please include:
    • ­the date of the e-transfer
    • ­the email address the money was sent to
    • the name of your financial institution

If you know the individual personally (ie. first and last name, address, etc.), please call our non-emergency number, 705-675-9171 to file a report. 

File a Sextortion report

You may be contacted by email or telephone if further information is required.

Filing a false police report is a criminal offence.

For more information on how to protect yourself online visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or Cybertip.ca