Be wary of 'sextortion' online scams 

People are being warned once again to be aware of scams during the coronavirus pandemic.

Gardai have issued a number of previous warnings and now there is renewed concern following more than three dozen reports of scams in Northern Ireland in recent days.

The majority of these attempts have been through what's known as sextortion scams.

According to the PSNI, most of the reports made to police are the same, and involve emails sent to recipients. They are told if they don't pay £2,000 they're threatened that X-rated or compromising photos of them will be sent to their families, or that images/footage of them accessing pornographic websites will be released. 

There have been a number of cases reported in Derry, and people in the Republic could be targeted as well.

Others are phishing emails where scammers tell the recipient they have their password in an attempt to convince them they're a genuine threat. They claim they have access to indecent images of the person and will release them publicly unless they pay the £2,000.  

Meanwhile, people are still being warned to be on their guard for more traditional type of scams, where scammers have claimed to be calling from a bank and have asked people for their bank details.

The advice is to never ever give out any personal or financial information to an unverified source via email or over the phone. 

For more information on the dangers of cybercrime and useful advise, the Garda Siochana website has a special section on its website that can be accessed HERE