URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — After a string of sextortion cases, the University of Illinois Police Department is giving students tips to prevent being a victim of a crime.
In the past 10 days, UIPD said they are aware of three separate incidents of students scammed into sexual extortion.
Charleston woman arrested for sixth DUI - On Sept. 19, A student reported they shared intimate pictures of themselves with an unknown person on Snapchat, to which the offender demanded money and threatened to post the pictures on public social media platforms if the victim did not comply.
- On Sept. 23, A U. of I. student reported they were engaged in a conversation with someone they believed they were familiar with on Snapchat and exchanged intimate photos. The offender impersonated a person known to the victim and demanded money through transfer applications or threatened to share the photos through social media platforms.
- And on Sept. 25, another U. of I. student said they were had a conversation with a stranger on a social media platform and exchanged intimate videos. The suspect threatened to send the recordings to the victim’s social contacts unless the victim transferred money to the offender.
“The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is providing resources to assist those involved in this incident and will continue to take actions to maintain the safety and security of the campus community,” UIPD said in a Safety Alert.
Students for Justice in Palestine no longer officially recognized at U of I To protect from sextortion, UIPD ask students to only engage in intimate conversations with people you know and trust, be careful on sharing personal information on the Internet, and have strong privacy settings on social media.
The FBI has more resources to deal with financial sextortion.
University Police asks any student who believes they may have been scammed to call 217-333-1216 or emailing by police@illinois.edu . UIPD also has a form to anonymously message officers.
U of I SEIU 73 strike moves to day three of no agreement Additionally, the Connie Frank CARE Center can help students in crisis, including ones who have been sextorted. To reach the CARE Center (or the Emergency Dean after regular business hours), call 217-333-0050. More information on the CARE Center can be found on its website.
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