(Photo courtesy Stuart Miles and freedigitialphotos.net)

Recently the LCSO investigated an incident where a local adult reported being a crime victim. The individual explained that an attractive female on Facebook sent a friend request and engaged in messaging with this communication quickly leading to personal video and photos being sent by our citizen.

The suspect with the attractive photo claims to have the same name as a famous Hollywood star then began threatening to send these very personal photos and video to friends of the victim and many others over the internet. The local resident was extremely upset and called our office for help.

Unfortunately the beautiful lady is only one of several suspect working together and are most likely overseas where there is no chance of prosecution. The scam normally involves the suspect requesting money be sent immediately in order for the victim to avoid this embarrassment. Our resident also learned his/her cell phone had been hacked, which creates additional problems for potential identity theft and other fraud. The sheriff has attempted to make notifications and minimize possible problems for the victim but there is only so much we can do.

The internet can be a good tool for many but it can also become a nightmare for others. There are creepers and stalkers all over and several victims in our area can attest to this. The best advice is to know your friends, use common sense, and never put yourself or others in a bad situation. Be safe.

Sheriff Steve Cox