Halton police are sharing tips to help keep residents safe following a recent spike in online extortion incidents throughout the region.

Police say there has been an increase in reports of online extortion in recent weeks.

They say these incidents typically start with a message from an unknown sender to a victim which then leads to private conversations through apps like Snapchat or Instagram.

The person will then attempt to extort the victim for money with images or video obtained through the chat.

Police are reminding residents about the importance of safe internet practices to avoid becoming the victim of these types of scams.

Halton police have offered the following tip:

• Do not engage in conversations with strangers.
• Never share intimate images online.
• Do not do anything on camera that you’re not comfortable with your friends or family seeing.

Anyone with information regarding these types of incidents is asked to contact Det. Const. Carson McAulay at 905-825-4777, ext 2442.