Dating app scam victims told 'don't suffer in silence'
Summary
Students are urged to speak out about scams on dating apps as reports of blackmail, especially sextortion, increase. Authorities recommend confiding in trusted friends and reporting incidents to prevent and address scams.Key Facts
- Sextortion involves criminals tricking someone into sending sexual images, then using those images to blackmail the victim.
- Nationwide, a UK building society, found that 28% of students reported being scammed, and half worry about becoming victims.
- In 2023, 33 police forces in England and Wales recorded nearly 8,000 blackmail cases involving sextortion, compared to just 23 in 2014.
- Fraud experts advise checking for odd phrases in chats and verifying profile photos online as part of scams prevention.
- Students are encouraged to talk to trusted people for support and to report cases to authorities if they experience blackmail.
- Scammers also target grieving families by pretending to charge for free funeral livestreams, according to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).
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