New statistics show that police-reported extortion cases in Canada rose by nearly 300 percent in the last decade, as the crime swelled online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These concerning increases are being facilitated by social media platforms and other electronic services providers,” said Lianna McDonald, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, in a news release.
“It should be a wake-up call.”
Crime data released by Statistics Canada Tuesday also showed an eight percent increase in the non-consensual distribution of intimate images from 2020 to 2021. There were also increases in indecent or harassing communications—up four percent—and uttering threats—rising three percent….