CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Police Department (UTCPD) is warning students and locals about a sextortion scam that is targeting college students.
They say they have investigated cases involving this scheme, with incidents ranging in severity.
The UTCPD says the scam works by:
- Unknown individuals connect with students on dating apps or social media.
- They build a false sense of trust and engage in online relationships.
- Once explicit images or videos are exchanged, the suspect demands money or more images, threatening to release the content publicly if the victim refuses.
In order to protect yourself, the UTCPD suggests being cautious with who you meet online, never sharing explicit media, reporting threats of violence or pressure and adjusting social media privacy settings to limit who can contact you…