The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is alerting students, faculty and staff about a blackmail scam – leveraging social media sites – making its way around university campuses. Here’s what we know about the scam:
- Victims have experienced this scam while engaging and corresponding with unknown individuals on social media sites.
- The perpetrators of the scam request explicit photos from the victim.
- The perpetrators then threaten to release the photos over social media sites if the victims do not provide money to keep them private.
If you have received this message or know someone who has received it, please call the DPS as soon as possible at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information for DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool.
Fraudulent scams happen every day; please take a moment to review these tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid fraud.
This public safety information is issued for your safety in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act.