The suicides of four British men in the last year have been linked to so-called “sextortion”, police say.
The number of people reporting webcam blackmails has more than doubled from 385 in 2015 to 864 up to November 2016.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it believed it was also significantly under-reported and actual numbers of victims were likely much higher.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said the rise in cases was “worrying”.
“Sextortion” is a form of blackmail where criminals use fake identities to befriend victims online before persuading them to perform sexual acts in front of their webcam.
How to deal with webcam blackmail
Sex, honour, shame and blackmail in an online world
The images are recorded by the criminals who then threaten to share them with the victims’ friends and family unless they give in to their demands for payment.
Read more
