School pupils as young as 13 in the Highlands are being targeted by foreign sextortion scammers, police have warned.
The crime was identified in Police Scotland’s latest performance report, which shows officers in the Highlands are raising awareness in schools, universities and bars as well as on social media.
Sexual extortion scams typically involve the sharing of indecent images on social media, such as Instagram and Snapchat.
Scammers make contact with their victims, usually young males, and then move the chat from one platform, such as Snapchat, to another – such as WhatsApp, in a bid to extort money or vouchers.
Sextortionists ask for money after the victim has sent explicit images
Victims are enticed to send nude or explicit photos or videos to someone who has befriended them online.
Victims are then blackmailed into sending money or gift cards to prevent the images from being distributed to people they know.
Police have conducted an analysis of threats and extortion crimes recorded across a number of local policing divisions.
In the Highlands and Islands division, where many victims are aged under 18, officers have been conducting visits to schools, colleges and the University of the Highlands and Islands to raise awareness.
A police spokesman told The Daily Mail said: “Sextortion is an insidious crime. It is a form of blackmail and can pose challenges to detect as those responsible typically operate outside the UK.
“These criminals do not care about the devastating impact their demands can have on victims.
“We would urge people to be aware of the risks and stay safe online.
“Criminals operate outside the UK.”
