Portugal’s Judiciary Police (PJ) have issued an important warning about the risks of communicating with strangers online, particularly criminals who use intimate images or videos to blackmail and extort their victims.
Under the campaign slogan “VOLTE-FACE online is fierce and real,” the PJ warned that an apparently harmless social media profile may conceal someone with criminal intentions. Criminals tailor their conversations to each potential victim, changing their approach according to the information the individual shares and what can be gathered from their online presence.
What begins as a friendly or flirtatious conversation can develop into blackmail, threats or an attempted attack, particularly after intimate or sexually explicit material has been exchanged. The PJ warned that extortion and deliberate humiliation are recurring features of these crimes. Users are strongly advised never to share intimate photographs or videos that could be used against them and to exercise particular caution when using a webcam with someone they have only recently met online.
