Identify & Avoid Common This Blackmail Scam

One of the oldest scams in history is blackmail, it functions on exploiting and leveraging evidence of someones shameful actions to gain a foot hold with that person, usually for financial gain. While they are varied, the main different in our current age, is that individuals are often blackmailed without actually having done anything, or without the blackmailer actually having any actual evidence. One of the best examples is the "we have incriminating photos of you", usually implying that they have nude photos of you. Unless you see that evidence, they do not actually have it.

There are 2 separate actions you should take depending on how this scam plays out.

1. If the blackmailer has shown you evidence, call the police.

2. If the blackmailer has not shown you evidence, contact the RCMP (https://rcmp.ca/en/federal-policing/cybercrime/national-cybercrime-coordination-centre/report-cybercrime-and-fraud)

If you have recently fallen for this scam, please note that the team running the scam will often come around a second time pretending to be a group that is out to try and catch the scammer, and will typically ask for more money to catch the attacker. The police or RCMP will not ask you to pay them to look into the crime.