The Naperville Police Department says it has received 27 reports of sextortion over the past two years, with more than half of the victims being adults.
To help keep the public safe, it’s focused its April edition of A Safer Naper on that very topic, sharing information about smart internet practices and how to protect oneself against sextortion.
Sextortion a ‘growing problem,’ Naperville police say
Sextortion is when someone extorts money or sexual images from a person by threatening to share or distribute provocative, explicit images of the victim. This is often an act of an online predator, but can also be done by a known acquaintance.
The FBI warn it can begin “on any site, app, messaging platform, or game where people meet and communicate.”
Naperville police noted a case that happened in February of this year, in which a Naperville teenager found himself a victim. He had sent explicit photos of himself to someone who had pretended to be a 16-year-old female. In reality, it was a 39-year-old Texas man. He then asked the teen for electronic payments as blackmail, saying that otherwise, he would release the photos to the public.
Naperville Police Chief Jason Arrest said sextortion is a “growing problem.”
Prevention starts with general internet safety
The NPD says the first step in prevention is being aware of some basic internet safety guidelines.
- Limit the amount of personal information you post online, and keep it professional
- Enable privacy safeguards through web browser and system settings
- Be smart about your browsing – don’t click on unknown or suspicious links
- Use a secure VPN connection. Don’t use public connections where you aren’t sure of security when posting any personal or financial information
- Download cautiously, steering clear of apps that come from suspicious sites
- Only use secure sites that start with https:, or those marked with a padlock, if you are making an online purchase
- Remember online posts may be visible forever – only post comments you’d be okay with a prospective employer seeing
- Be cautious about online friend selection, as fake profiles are a popular tool for hackers
- Continually update your computer antivirus program
Taking steps to prevent against sextortion
With those tips in mind, the Naperville Police Department offers several additional steps to help prevent against sextortion.
- Be selective about what you share online
- Block or ignore messages from people you don’t know
- Be wary if someone you chat with online asks you to start talking on a different platform
- Realize it’s easy for someone to pretend to be a different person online, using altered or stolen images or accounts
- Never send someone an inappropriate photo or video of yourself
- Ask for help if you are getting online requests from someone that feel off, or if you have been victimized.
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