scammer

Infopackets Reader Tyler M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on Facebook Dating sextortion article - thanks for that. I have a somewhat different issue, though similar. While on vacation in Thailand, I met a beautiful local ... woman at a bar in Bangkok. She offered to be my personal guide (plus benefits!) and promised to show me around for the duration of my visit. I was skeptical at first, but knew that this type of ' transactional relationship ' was common in Thailand. After a few drinks I gave in - we exchanged numbers and added each other on Instagram. Everything seemed ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jenna M. writes: "Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on Being Harassed on Instagram - it was a very informative read. I have a much more complicated issue: I separated from my husband last year and recently decided to give ... Facebook Dating a try. A few days in, I matched with a man who said he was an architect from a nearby city. He was attractive, polite, and claimed his wife had cheated on him. He told me he was originally from Germany and his daughter lives there. His profile said he lives in Minnesota - but his phone number has a New York area code. Not long after ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sarah B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - I'm being harassed on Instagram . A few months ago, I met a guy on Instagram claiming to be stationed overseas in the US Military. He moves from base to base, which makes it difficult ... for him to stay in touch with people. Initially, he was sweet, charming, and always had a good excuse for why we couldn't video chat - so we exchange some photos instead. At first, he just wanted someone to talk to, but not long after, he hinted that he was struggling financially. He needed money for things like Internet access, food, and other ' ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sam J. writes: "Dear Dennis, My teenage son got caught up in an online sextortion scam. He thought he was talking to a girl his age on Instagram, but it turned out to be a scammer who tricked him into sharing private photos. He ... already sent the blackmailers $500 in Steam cards. Now, they're threatening to send those images to his friends and family unless we pay more. He's terrified, ashamed, and deeply depressed. As a father, I feel completely helpless. How can I stop cyber harassment and online blackmail in order to protect my son? Please help!" My response: If you or ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Steve T. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help! I am being blackmailed on Instagram and I'm not sure what to do. A few weeks ago I signed up for Plenty of Fish (PoF) dating and matched up with a woman that I believed to be legit. We ... exchanged photos on Instagram and texted back and forth for about a week. Not long after, we exchanged raunchy photos. Fast forward to just a few days ago and she claims to have crashed her car and doesn't have enough to cover the costs. She's asked me to help. I declined. She said if I don't pay, she would share intimate pictures of me with all of ... (view more)

An email scam that aims to exploit embarrassment appears to be back in full effect. The scam involves the recipient getting a message falsely claiming somebody has hacked their computer through an adult website, then accessed their webcam and filmed ... the person enjoying said website. It goes on to claim the hacker has gathered a list of contacts from the user's email and Facebook accounts and threatens to send a copy of the embarrassing video to the person's friends and family. To stop this, the victim must pay the equivalent of $1,900 in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Email Allegedly Tracked The ... (view more)