Limerick gardaí see more people being blackmailed over compromising online images

Gardaí warned “if you post an image online, you no longer have control over that image”

Gardaí said: "One young man in his early 20s was contacted through social media with a message that threatened to send a compromising video of him to all of his contacts if he did not pay €1000.” File photo: iStock

Gardaí in Limerick have reported an increase in reports of online blackmail involving criminals pressurising people to pay them large sums of money to not release compromising photos or videos of themselves to their family and friends.

On Safer Internet Day, Sergeant Ber Leetch, Crime Prevention Officer, Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick, advised that “while this may sound obvious, do not provide anybody with the power to blackmail you”.