Dutchess Sheriff Warns Of Social Media Extortion Scheme

DUTCHESS COUNTY, NY — The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public that local young people are being targeted for extortion via social media.

The sheriff’s office said the extortion begins when someone befriends a child, while posing as a child on social media, and then at some point asks the child to share explicit photos of themselves.

Once the photos are shared, the extortionist then blackmails the child by telling them that the photos will be posted or shared with others unless money is paid.

In some cases, the extortionist asks for money in the form of gift cards, because they know that many children still have unspent cards from Christmas, and using them is less likely to alert parents and other authority figures.

So far, the sheriff’s office said it has one case in which the extortionist did post the explicit photos of the child after not getting the money they demanded.

If anyone has any information about these types of cases, thinks they may be a victim or knows someone who may be a victim, they are urged to contact Detective Cohen at 845-486-3820 or by email.

The sheriff’s office can also be contacted via the tip line at 845-605-CLUE (2583) or dcsotips@gmail.com. All information will be kept confidential.

The sheriff’s office asks that all parents and caregivers make sure their children are aware of these incidents and reinforce the best ways for them to stay safe while using the internet and social media.