Lonely men ‘being tricked into exposing themselves online’ by scammers posing as women | #datingscams | #lovescams


A number of lonely men have been targeted and tricked into exposing themselves by criminal gangs posing as women in order to blackmail them.

These types of cases, known as ‘sextortion’, have been described as a “growing threat” by the National Crime Agency.

This is when criminals use online platforms, usually dating apps, to befriend their victims with many known to be male.

The gangs trick their victims into believing that they are talking to a woman, who is either fake or has been coerced into the scam.

Victims are then incited into performing a sex act or exposing themselves in front of their webcam, which is recorded by the gang with the threat to share the images with the victim’s family and friends.

Males are being targeted by criminals and tricked into exposing themselves online

Sextortion could also include phishing scams, where someone is contacted, usually by email, by a criminal who claims to have login details, or a video of the victim visiting an adult website.

Figures from a Freedom of Information request, reported by the Liverpool Echo, show that 3,984 cases of sextortion or online blackmail involving webcams or social media were reported to police across Britain in 2020/21.

Person typing on a laptop
The crime has been called ‘sextortion’ and considered to be on the rise

The figure is more than double the 1,773 reported in 2019/20, which could be as a result of more people being forced to stay at home during lockdown.

However, the real figures are likely to be higher due to only 39 out of 44 police forces providing their figures.

The Revenge Porn Helpline, which supports those who have been threatened or had intimate images shared, has seen the number of cases triple between 2019 and 2020.

Man on laptop computer
The men are then threatened over the intimate photos or video

The charity says that sextortion is a “fast-moving crime” and exploits the most vulnerable of people.

Senior helpline practitioner Zara Ward said: “It’s incredibly important to remember that these numbers are high and they all represent a person who has been incredibly affected by this issue.

“Sextortion is a fast-moving crime to gain monetary gain from someone by using them and exploiting them at their most vulnerable.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

“We know that in most cases content is not actually shared, but the fear these criminals instil on the victims is very real; making claims they are sex offenders, paedophiles and trying to ruin their whole lives.

“Further the demands for money never stop, even if the initial sum is paid, so we always recommend to stop, block, report: stop sending money, block them on all platforms and report them to the police. We don’t find that there are any particular ages most affected, but predominantly the gender most affected is men.”

The Revenge Porn Helpline is available on 0345 6000 459 or via Facebook Messenger from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.

They can also be emailed at help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk or anonymously via the reporting form on its website ( https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk/ ).





Click Here For Original Source.

. . . . . . .