Sex-tortion scams on the increase

As a result of a recent rise in the number of reported sextortion scams, police are urging people to be aware of and report threatening emails.

The emails claim to have tracked the reader accessing adult websites and demand a ransom in order to keep the information private.

These types of ‘phishing’ attacks are made more believable because they sometimes include an individual’s password used in several of their accounts – which is why every account should carry a different password.

Phishing attacks are designed to play on people’s emotions and pressure them into ‘taking the bait’ and paying the ransom.

If you receive such an email:

• Do not engage with the fraudster – delete the email and report it to Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-phishing. 

• Do not be tempted to pay the ransom, doing so will likely encourage more scams.

• Do not worry if the email includes your password; in all likelihood this has been obtained from historic breaches of personal data. You can check if your account has been compromised and get future notifications by visiting: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

• If the email includes a password you still use then change it immediately.

• If you have been the victim of a sextortion scam and have paid the ransom, then report it to Cheshire Police by calling 101.

For more advice and information about staying secure online, visit the National Cyber Security Centre website: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families#section_3