‘Sexting’ scams: Criminals pose as US police to pilfer money from users of dating apps

A widely recognized sexting scam has made its way to Hilton Head Island in the United States. Once again, fraudsters are impersonating law enforcement agents and exploiting the financial resources of fearful citizens, even threatening to accuse them of sexual crimes.

One Saturday night, Beaufort County deputies received a call from a North Carolina resident who appeared to have lost thousands of dollars to an online scam.

An incident report from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said the male had been messaging a woman named Maddison, whose profile claimed she was 20 years old, using the matchmaking app Hily. Maddison emailed him explicit pictures of herself; he told authorities he did not send images in return.

Later that day, the individual received a call from someone purporting to be “Investigator Jonathan Hall” from the Beaufort Police Department, but not a legitimate agency official. Alleging Maddison’s age as 15 rather than 20, the caller advised the man to ring a number purportedly belonging to Maddison’s father.

Maddison’s “father” informed the man that Maddison’s daughter needed therapy due to inappropriate texts exchanged between them. The report states that Maddison’s “father” instructed the man to cover half of the therapy bill, which amounts to US$3,200, or RM14,296.

Before phoning the police, the man apparently wired US$2,200 (RM9,829) to the unidentified suspects using digital wallet providers Cash App and PayPal. Telling the man he was being duped, police advised him to document the transactions as fraud and stop corresponding with the calls.

Speaking for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Master Sgt. Danny Allen stated the fraud was not novel and had been documented several times in the past.

How should you defend yourself?

Users of matchmaking services and dating apps are particularly prone to this kind of underage sexting fraud. Usually, the objectives are single guys.

Usually, scammers pose as law enforcement to frighten victims into delivering money quickly. Sometimes scammers help their targets by using the actual names of local police personnel.

Impersonators in Beaufort County have used the following schemes most frequently:

The victim is notified that they missed jury duty and must pay fees.

Tell the victim they have to pay “bail,” and there is a warrant out for their arrest.

Notifying recently freed prisoners or victims with a family member incarcerated indicates they must follow additional procedures or pay for their relative’s early release.

These frauds typically target older individuals. Beaufort County is particularly vulnerable to the billion-dollar scam business, with 29.2% of its citizens 65 years of age or above.

According to the US Federal Trade Commission, these actions can protect citizens from phone scams.

Steer clear of calls from an unidentified number.

Never divulge your name or any other personal information over the phone in response to a request that you were not expecting.

Do not let pressure drive you to act right now. Should they be a legitimate company, they will not force you to decide right away.

Pay someone who insists on receiving payment through wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. In particular, Hilton Head Island, S.C.; The Island Packet (Tribune News Service)