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‘Chelsea’ asked for nude pictures. Then the sextortion began

New York Times
11 mins to read
‘Chelsea’ asked for nude pictures. Then the sextortion began
“David,” a 32-year-old pharmacy technician, fell for a sextortion scam. Photon / Jeenah Moon, The New York Times

Young men are being tricked into sending naked pictures to scammers pretending to be women — who then demand money. The consequences can be devastating.

The Instagram message popped up from a girl named Chelsea: “Howdy.”

David didn’t know anyone named Chelsea, but he clicked through her profile: She had

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