GARDAÍ ARE WARNING people to be careful of fake profiles on dating sites, with multiple blackmail cases being reported to gardaí in Cork this year.

Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103′s Cork Today Show, Sergeant John Kelly of Fermoy Garda Station warned the public about fake profiles who have lured in people and then asked for compromising photographs.

“They’re [people] being lured in by profiles, fake profiles. They think they’re corresponding with a flesh and blood person,” said Sgt Kelly.

However, Sgt Kelly said that these profiles were created “for the purpose of harvesting money”, and that once compromising photos have been sent, then blackmail begins.

“They get the person to send on, maybe, compromising photographs of themselves after a while and the next thing the blackmail requests start.”

According to Sgt Kelly, the fake profile tells the person that they have gained access to their list of contacts and would threaten to send the compromising photos to those contacts.

Sgt Kelly said that there are currently two investigations ongoing, and that there was one last year. In one case, the amount of money requested was €10,000.

In 2019, there were 75 cases of so-called “romance fraud” reported to Gardaí, with total losses in excess of €1 million.

A warning was issued by Sgt Kelly for people to be aware of the use of blackmail on dating websites and for people to be careful with who they are communicating with.

Sgt Kelly also said that it’s likely that gardaí are not aware of the full extent of how much blackmail is currently going on. However, he encouraged those impacted by it to not be embarrassed and to come forward to gardaí, who will treat the matter confidentially.

“Come forward and we will give any assistance that we can,” said Kelly.