Police said a 21-year-old Guelph man recently lost $1,200 in a “sextortion” scam.
They said he was among the victims in more than a dozen scams they have investigated this year.
Police said he chatted on social media with someone he believed to be a woman and sent the unknown user several explicit pictures.
Then the man was reportedly put into a group chat, created by the suspect, involving his friends and family.
Police said the victim panicked after the suspect threatened to release the photos and he e-transferred $1,200 to an address in the Philippines.
Afterwards, the scammer deleted their social media account.
Police said sextortion scams typically involve someone being contacted on social media and interacting with scammers. The interactions involve the victim sharing intimate pictures or videos and the scammer then threatens to publish them in exchange for money.
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