°®¶¹´«Ã½ Safety Advisory
8-20-25
°®¶¹´«Ã½ campus community,
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 20, the University Police at °®¶¹´«Ã½ received a report of an extortion scam that occurred on campus. This particular type of fraud involves the exploitation of sexually explicit material obtained from unsuspecting victims through social media platforms, group chats or online forums where people connect with strangers. Typically, it begins innocuously with a simple message, drawing the victim into a seemingly casual conversation. As this dialogue progresses, it gradually takes a sexual turn, encouraging the victim to participate in sexually explicit activities during video chats or share sexually explicit photos. Once the perpetrator possesses one or more compromising videos or images, they begin the extortion process, threatening to disseminate this content to the victim's family and friends if payment is not received. It is important to note that paying the extortion demands does not stop further attempts; the extortion is likely to continue regardless of payment.
In light of this report and the continuous threat such scams pose, the °®¶¹´«Ã½ University Police would like to advise all members of the campus community to exercise caution when interacting with unfamiliar individuals on social media. To minimize the risk of falling victim to this or any scam, consider taking the following preventive measures:
- Refrain from accepting friend requests or following individuals you have not personally met or established a genuine connection with.
- Do not send sexually explicit content to anyone, especially if the recipient is an unfamiliar individual.
In the unfortunate event that you are facing extortion or have fallen victim to an online scam, please report the incident to the University Police at (607) 777-2393 immediately. Information can also be reported anonymously through the University Police website. Your prompt reporting is crucial for our ability to provide swift assistance and effectively address the situation.
This message has been delivered to all active users of the °®¶¹´«Ã½ electronic mail system. This message is posted for the °®¶¹´«Ã½ community in compliance with the "Timely Warning" provisions of the federal Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act. You cannot be removed from these distributions. There is no reason to forward this message to individuals or mailing lists within the °®¶¹´«Ã½ mail system, as it has already been distributed to everyone.