Young men in Perth and Kinross are being targeted by so-called ‘sextortion’ scams.
Tayside Police revealed they are receiving a concerning number of reports of social media users falling victim to the con.
The scam is typically aimed at men between the ages of 18 and 44, but the authorities regularly receive reports of both male and female victims aged from teens to 60s.
These usually involve the victim being enticed to send nude or explicit photos or videos to someone who has befriended them online, then being blackmailed into sending money, or sometimes gift cards, to prevent them being distributed to people they know.
The recent reports have sparked a warning from Tayside Police, who revealed that these incidents are on the rise.
Sergeant Andy Sheppard of Tayside Division preventions, interventions and partnerships said: “Unfortunately this type of online crime continues to be on the increase.
“The perpetrator’s goal is to win your trust, convince you they are genuine, and persuade you to send compromising images or videos of yourself to them.
“Their overall objective is to extort money from you, which they do by threatening to post these compromising images of you online to friends and family through social media platforms, or to post them to names on your email contacts list.
“I would appeal to everyone who uses online chat and meeting rooms to take a few minutes and seriously consider who you think you are talking to during these exchanges.
"They can also frequently arise from random friend requests through the likes of Facebook, Instagram and several dating sites.
“Once you send images, where they go is completely outwith your control and they are out there forever with no chance of ever fully recovering them.”
“If you find yourself being blackmailed or extorted in this way, contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
“You will be given support and your complaint will be taken in utmost confidence.”
