Two women - aged 22 and 24 - charged over online extortion offences in Dundee
The women, aged 24 and 22, were arrested on Thursday and are due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court at a later date.
The alleged offences, dating back to July last year, involve interacting with victims through a chat service or email before blackmailing them into sending money to prevent private conversations being shared publicly or to personal contacts.
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Hide AdDetective Sergeant Simon Murray, of Dundee CID, said: “Online extortion-type crimes like these are becoming more prevalent, and we would urge everyone to think about their online safety and security, especially when interacting with people you don’t personally know.
“Conversations started on an app may afford a little privacy, but as soon as you step outside of the application or provide personal details such as phone numbers, social media account details etc, you provide means by which you can be identified and potentially extorted.”
DS Murray urged people to keep their phones, laptops and tablets secure and to use a password or PIN.
He continued: “Don’t do anything online that you wouldn’t do face to face.
“Think about what you post, or wrote in an email or text – once it’s sent, you can’t get it back and have no control over where it may go. Do you really know your online ‘friends’ or who you befriend online? Think about why and how you know people.”
Police also recommend not arranging to meet someone you have only met on the internet.
For more online safety advice visit here.