Investigators say the female scammer flirts with the victims after contacting them on Facebook and even shares explicit pictures of herself or invites them to perform sexual acts using the online video calling programme Skype to lull the men into a false sense of security.
Once the victims have sent images of themselves they are then blackmailed for hundreds of pounds with the threat that their pictures will be shared publicly or with family or friends.
So far nine men, of a variety of ages, across the Channel Islands have fallen victim to the hoax – six in Jersey and three in Guernsey.
In Guernsey police say they are aware of images that have already been shared on video website YouTube. They say in some circumstances the headlines of the videos have falsely stated that the act has been performed in front of a juvenile.
The States police say the names used by the criminals include Aurelia Lambert, Samantha Smith, Leandra Williams and Kendra Williams and they believe the accounts are based in Africa.
Speaking to the JEP, Sergeant Huw Williams of the States police, who has been investigating the case, said Islanders must remember that what goes online often stays there.
‘Do not get lured into compromising situations such as removing clothes or performing intimate acts online. You do not know who may see the images,’ he said.
‘Be wary about who you invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites. Do not accept friendship requests from complete strangers – you would not do this in real life.’
Guernsey high-tech crime investigator PC Sarah Chandler said the women will flirt with their male victims and tend to target specific jurisdictions.
‘The individuals involved in this scam will research the jurisdiction they are targeting in an attempt to pass off as a local resident,’ she said.
‘Once contact has been made with the male target, a conversation is instigated to try and make the potential victim at ease, believe they have met previously or are interested in the female romantically.
‘If this is declined they will suggest a Skype conversation in which the female fraudster will offer to perform sexual acts herself in exchange for the man doing the same.’
She added: ‘We are aware of instances where the blackmailers have distributed images to the victim’s friends and family.’
Islanders who think they have been persuaded to give any bank details should contact their bank.
– Do not get lured into compromising situations such as removing clothes or performing intimate acts online. You do not know who may see the images.
– Always remember that what goes online may well stay online.
– Be wary about who you invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites. Do not accept friendship requests from complete strangers – you would not do this in real life.
– Update the privacy settings on your social networking accounts so only people you know can view your account.
– Do not include any sensitive, private or confidential information in profiles.
– Quickly block nuisance and fraudulent users from further contact with you and also report them for abuse.
– If you become a victim of this type of scam do not respond to the blackmailer’s demands but report the issue to the police and the relevant social networking site.
MOST things come with some sort of health and safety warning these days, and Facebook is no exception.
A recent study by Danish academics found that Facebook use led to lower levels of happiness and it is a well-known stalking ground for bullies and trolls.
But these warnings have, for the most part, been aimed at young people, many of whose lives revolve around social media.
But today, it seems, a new warning is required. The police have revealed that men in Jersey and Guernsey have been targeted by scammers posing as women looking for some kind of cyber sex.
These people are flirting with their targets on Facebook, encouraging them to send explicit or compromising pictures of themselves and then blackmailing them with the photographs or videos.
It is hard not to think that the police have got enough to do without spending time picking up the pieces for adults who should know better
Today, the States police issued guidance to would-be victims. Do not get lured into compromising situations such as removing clothes or performing intimate acts online because you do not know who will see the pictures, it says. It counsels people to check their online security and privacy settings and to be wary of strangers wanting to be their friends out of the blue.
Scammers will always seek to target vulnerable and trusting people and this is just another example of an age-old trick. The advice remains the same. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
