Internet users have been urged to be careful after victims have been extorted through threats to publish sexual information.

The spate of “sextortion” cases come after a number of cases involving children and young people have been reported to Sussex Police in recent weeks.

Cases have been reported to involve either the extortion of money or attempts to force victims to perform tasks against their will.

Police have warned that online chats can “quickly become sinister” after threats to send sexual information to friends, family and other users. Platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat are particularly susceptible to this type of crime due to their photo sharing elements.

The perpetrators of these types of crimes are also often said to be from outside of the UK but are targeting younger victims over the internet.

Victims of these types of offences are advised to not be intimidated and pay the price that is asked of them. Instead, Sussex Police recommends taking screenshots of any relevant messages, profiles and other online information before blocking the profile responsible for the crime.

Any blackmail attempts should be reported to police online, or by calling 101, where specially trained officers are able to support victims.