Gardaí warn of online blackmail after Limerick extortion attempt

Sergeant Ber Leetch, crime prevention officer at Henry Street garda station, said: "The female stated that she would circulate his image on social media if he did not forward money to an account and she provided details.” 

Gardaí are investigating an allegation of a person attempting to extort money from a man after he forwarded a “compromising image” of himself to them online.

The attempted online blackmail occurred in Limerick recently, gardaí said.

“A man in his early 20s from the Roxboro area reported to gardaí that he accepted a friend request from an unknown female on Facebook, and after a number of messages back and forth, the young man forwarded a compromising image of himself to this female's account,” said Sergeant Ber Leetch, crime prevention officer at Henry Street garda station.

“Immediately the female stated that she would circulate his image on social media if he did not forward money to an account and she provided details.” 

Sgt Leetch said she was "happy to say that the young man blocked this female and no money was forwarded".

She cautioned against sharing information and imagery online, especially when someone could not be sure who they were sending it to.

Garda enquiries have been made into this account and it is believed to be located on the Ivory Coast, she said.

The young man had been told that the female was in Ireland.

Sgt Leetch advised that if money is sent under these circumstances, the person holding the image will just continue to try and get more money.

"Don’t send any money and report it to gardaí," she said.