POLICE are raising awareness of 'sextortion' and the dangers associated with interacting with someone you don’t know online.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail where a perpetrator threatens to reveal intimate images of the victim online unless they give in to their demands.

A PSNI spokesman said: "These demands are typically for money or further intimate images.

"Criminals might befriend victims online by using a fake identity and then persuade them to perform sexual acts in front of their webcam.

"Criminals then threaten to share the images with the victims’ friends and family."

The PSNI spokesman added: "This can make the victims feel embarrassed and ashamed, and prevent them from coming forward to report the incident."

Perpetrators of sextortion can be located anywhere, targeting a number of people, targeting victims through dating apps, social media or webcams.

"We would urge anyone who has been the victim of cyber-related blackmail to come forward and report it to police at 101, or 999 in an emergency.

"Even though it may be embarrassing, anybody who is the victim of such a crime should be reassured that we are able to deal with it," said the PSNI spokesman.