Iowa City police warn of online extortion scam

IOWA CITY - Iowa City police are warning citizens to be careful with who they're interacting with online.

According to a news release, the police department has recently taken three different reports of local residents being involved in a social media extortion scam.

In each case, the alleged perpetrator has posed as a young woman and sent a friend request to over social media. Police said the perpetrator - who is believed to be a man who lives outside of Johnson County - develops a relationship with the victim. Over time, the perpetrator will convince the victim to participate in 'personal actions” online, police said.

Police said the perpetrator is recording those activities and then demanding payment or they will post the images captured online. Personal images have been shared with the family and friends of the victims in these cases, police said.

Police are warning citizens not to share personal or confidential information with unverified contacts.

Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to call Iowa City Police Investigator David Gonzalez at (319) 356-5275.

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com