The Pasco Sheriff's Office on Friday, Aug. 28, warned residents that scammers are using fake social media profiles to blackmail victims after obtaining intimate photos or videos.
The alert, posted on the agency's official X account as part of its weekly #PSOFridayScam series, described how the scheme works. A scammer creates a fake profile and builds trust with a target. The scammer then convinces the person to share explicit images and threatens to release them unless the victim pays.
https://x.com/PascoSheriff/status/2093330135776694330
The sheriff's office laid out four steps for anyone targeted:
- Stop all communication and do not comply with demands.
- Take screenshots of the messages.
- Block and report the user on the platform.
- Contact law enforcement.
National scope
The warning arrives as sextortion cases climb across the country. The FBI received more than 75,000 sextortion reports in 2025, including more than 5,700 referrals to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center annual report as reported by CyberScoop. The IC3 report recorded $122.5 million in extortion losses nationally that year.
John Demay, whose son Jordan died after an online sextortion scheme, spoke with NBC News on Thursday, Aug. 27, about his push for safer social media platforms for children.
No Pasco County-specific case numbers were included in the sheriff's office alert.
Who is at risk
The PSO's alert did not name specific platforms or age groups most vulnerable to sextortion. The FBI's referral of more than 5,700 cases to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicates minors are among those targeted nationally. The sheriff's office noted that online relationships "may appear safer at first" but cautioned that "that is not always the case."
How to report
Residents who believe they or a family member have been targeted can call the Pasco Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at (727) 847-8102 or submit a tip at PascoSheriff.com/tips.
