Householders have been receiving ‘sextortion’ emails in a scam that has been designed to intimidate internet users who visit pornographic sites.
Police have received a number of reports recently from people receiving these emails.
According to Scamwise NI, the sender says they have access to the users’ passwords and they claim to have installed an app on their mobile devices which allows them to record videos of the victims visiting pornographic sites.
The scammer then threatens to release the footage if the user doesn’t pay a sum of money.
Police are asking people not to be embarrassed to report this type of scam if they have been using one of these sites.
The email aims to target users in anticipation that it may cause fear and distress, scaring someone into paying, but it’s a generic email sent out to a host of internet users, say police.
Check out the link below for more information on how to protect yourself from this type of scam. http://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/sextortion-scams-how-to-protect-yourself.
Meanwhile one in five people who use online dating services say they have been asked to give cash to people they have met online, a survey has found.
The research was carried out by trade association UK Finance.
And as Valentine’s Day approaches, people are being warned about the ever increasing number of romance scams.
According to the data, the average amount of money that was given out online was £321.