Webcam blackmail on the rise in Bedfordshire as police warn of 'sextortion' spike

Cases of ‘sextortion’ are on the rise in the county after Bedfordshire Police received more than 100 reports in a couple of months.

To the uninitiated, ‘sextortion’ is when a victim is lured into performing sexual acts or taking intimate images.

Unbeknown to them, their acts are often recorded by criminals who use the images to blackmail them.

Criminals often threaten to upload the content online and send it to the victim’s friends or family if they do not comply with their demands – which invariably means the victim ends up paying large sums of money.

And more often than not, the offender can be based in an entirely different country.

New figures released by the force show between September 2022 to January this year, officers recorded 112 reports of this type of crime.

A change in legislation in June 2021 made the threats of disclosure of private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress, commonly referred to as the sharing or posting of ‘revenge porn’ online, illegal.

The figures have also been released to coincide with It’s Not OK week – a national week raising awareness of sexual violence and abuse.

A/Detective Sergeant Ann Ward from Bedfordshire Police’s serious fraud investigation unit, said: “We have found that ‘sextortion’ crimes have been rising steadily year on year, with more than 100 reports made to us over the last four months.

“We would advise anyone against sending intimate pictures or performing sexual acts online, as once they are in the cyber arena they can never be completely deleted.

“Only accept friend requests on social media from people you know in real life and if you do find yourself a victim of this cruel offence, please report it to us so we can investigate it and hopefully put a stop to it.”

The key tips to remember so you don't get caught out online:

Not everyone online is who they say they are and it’s easy for people to hide their real intentions, so only speak to people you know in real life

Never transfer money or share bank details, PINs and passwords with people you don’t know and trust

If someone you are speaking to online makes you feel uncomfortable, or you witness any suspicious behaviour, contact police

Think twice before you post online – once something has been shared in the digital world it is almost impossible to completely remove it

If you feel you have been a victim of fraud online, break off all contact, do not send any more money, report the fraudster online or call police on 101