(KLZA)-- The Richardson County Sheriff's Office has been made aware of recent scams regarding the sending of intimate personal photos.

The scammers begin a courtship of the victim using various social media platforms until intimate photos are sent by the victim. The scammer then blackmails the victim by threatening to distribute these photos to the victims' friends and family unless the victim pays them using gift cards, PayPal or other digital payment apps.

Parents are encouraged to discuss with their children the dangers of this and other predatory behavior that can occur using the internet and advise them that no personal information or photos should be exchanged with people you do not know.

The Sheriff's Office has been able to ascertain that several of these scammers are based in India using a VPN to hide their IP address and are not using their real names or actual photos for obvious reasons.