Keep privates private, warn Richmond Mounties after online extortion scam

RICHMOND, B.C. – Richmond RCMP are warning young men in the Vancouver suburb to make better choices about the private details — or parts — they reveal online.

Mounties say they have investigated four incidents of attempted extortion over the last month involving men who thought they were having a private Internet chat with an unknown woman in an unknown country.

In each case, the chat led to the man exposing himself via webcam.

That’s when the chat became anything but friendly as Cpl. Stephanie Ashton says the victims were told to send money through Western Union to avoid having the videos sent to their friends and family on Facebook.

Ashton says no money was paid.

But she says everyone should protect their public image by using good judgement about anything posted online.

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