Gardaí in Limerick are warning secondary school students about a WhatsApp social media scam that attempts to blackmail unsuspecting victims by threatening to circulate fake intimate photos of them online.
The advice from gardaí to anyone who receives such a message is not to engage with the sender.
Garda John Finnerty, of Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick City, advised smartphone users if they receive such a message to report it to gardaí, who will try to locate the sender.
“This pertains to some students receiving inappropriate WhatsApp messages from an unknown number or from an unknown account on social media. The message says that the sender has inappropriate photos of the student,” explained Garda Finnerty.
“The sender may send photos which have been doctored to appear to show the student, [however], the photo of the student may have been lifted from a social media account such as Instagram.”
Garda Finnerty advised students and parents to be vigilant and said there were a number of options available to the receiver of such a message to avoid being taken in or upset by the scam.
He said that if a student does receive such a message they should “not respond to it and do not arrange to pay money to the scammer”.
“Tell your parents or guardians and…
