in-cyprus 17 June 2020 -Bouli Hadjioannou
Police are warning of a spike in sextortion, where criminals threaten to share explicit photographs of their victims unless they agree to their demands.
The threats usually involve money or demands for more personal images. Victims are usually targeted through dating apps, social media, webcams or adult porn sites, police said.
In no instance should recipient of such threats make in payment or negotiate with the sender in any way.
Police’s cyber crime unit has posted advice on its website. This tracks warning signs, protective measures and what someone should do if contacted in this way.
The unit said it was at the disposal of the public or of companies to report such cases. The public is urged to visit cyberalert.cy and the police website, under cybercrime, to report a case.
Advice includes: Do not panic but contact police immediately. Do not communicate further with the criminals or pay any money because this will only lead to demands for higher amounts of money. Take screen shots of communication, report the issue to the social media and preserve evidence.
