and someone is using your own photos to extort you, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s crisis hotline: 844-878-CCRI (2274) for help or advice. If you think someone is trying to extort you: In fact, the FBI advises against paying extortion demands, which could support criminal activity.Īnd remember that, once you share photos, you can’t take them back.
Other scammers threaten people who are “closeted” or not yet fully “out” as LGBTQ+. This is information scammers can find online by using your phone number or your social media profile. To make their threats more credible, these scammers will tell you the names of exactly who they plan to contact if you don’t pay up. They threaten to share your conversation and photos with your friends, family, or employer unless you pay - usually by gift card. If you send photos, the blackmail begins. They usually work something like this: a scammer poses as a potential romantic partner on an LGBTQ+ dating app, chats with you, quickly sends explicit photos, and asks for similar photos in return. And they aren’t your typical I-love-you, please-send-money romance scams. We’re hearing about scams targeting people on LGBTQ+ dating apps, like Grindr and Feeld.
Looking for love on LGBTQ+ dating apps? Scammers are at the ready too.
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