A Lehigh Acres man was forced to call deputies after a potential love interest tried to extort him for thousands of dollars.
The relationship seemed innocent enough, but when the victim in this case engaged in sexual acts during a video chat with a woman he met online, she threatened to send the video to his family and friends if he didn’t pay up.
The term “cybercrime” is becoming familiar.
One cybercrime expert said the amount of crimes online could outpace that of the illegal drug trade.
The victim, whom we aren’t naming, was contacted on Facebook and added as a friend by an unknown European woman.
Their conversations quickly turned sexual.
The predator in this case – a woman who claimed to be from France – convinced the man to engage in sex acts in a video. He complied, and right after he recorded it, she started making threats.
She posted the video to YouTube and sent him a link, demanding $5,000 or she would share it with his family and friends, send it to the US ambassador, and sue him.
The crimes committed in this case are cyberstalking and extortion.
One expert said it’s important to remember – if something online seems too good to be true, even a promising romance, it probably is.