The video was sent to his girlfriend, who the scammer allegedly found through his Facebook page.

Unfortunately, the case wasn’t a one-off and Consumer Protection have warned it can have some of the most emotionally damaging consequences of any other scam they’ve seen before.

“It’s a very personal and highly embarrassing situation to be in and victims are made to believe their lives could be ruined if the intimate videos and photos are made public,” Consumer Protection commissioner David Hillyard said.

“The emotional impact on people targeted by these extortion attempts can be significant.

“In 2015, a teenager in Scotland took his own life after online scammers threatened to share intimate webcam vision of him.”

In another case, a 21-year-old WA man sent a video via Facebook Messenger to a woman he had just met online.

He was immediately confronted with a demand for $1,000 in order to prevent the video from being sent to his family and ex-girlfriend.

When he tried to call their bluff, the scammers then sent a message to his mother and uncle to make sure he knew they were serious about their threat.

The man still refused, and then reported the incident to ScamNet.

In other instances of “sextortions”, the targets were enticed into having cyber-sex via Skype which was recorded and extortion attempts were then received.

Models are often used in these scams and they usually initiate the sexual behaviour and offer to “swap” videos and photos.

Mr Hillyard hammered home no one should send their money to the scammers, regardless of the threat.

“It’s important that people who are being blackmailed don’t send any money as the demands will only escalate,” he said.

“Get confidential advice from WA ScamNet officers who can outline practical steps to take to help the situation.”

WA ScamNet has issued the following advice for people who might be targeted:

• Do not send money. If you do, the scammers will come back for more.
• Contact WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54 to seek help.
• If the video or photographs are uploaded/posted on sites such as Facebook or YouTube, report them immediately to the administrators by flagging them as inappropriate. They should be taken down quickly.
• Take note of Skype names or Facebook profiles as these will also need to be reported.
• Block the scammer and delete them from your friends’ list on social media. Do the same if they have your email address or mobile phone number.
• Deactivate social media accounts for two weeks so the scammers will think you have deleted your accounts.
• If you meet someone online, avoid letting them have intimate photos or videos. Even if they are not a scammer, there are still risks.