Guelph man faces $4,000 demand after stranger threatens to release private video

A blank cell phone is seen in this file image.

A Guelph man called police after a stranger demanded he pay thousands of dollars to prevent a private video from being shared online.

The 20-year-old man called police just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday. He told them he had been using an app to chat with a person who claimed they were a woman from the Philippines.

A short time later, the man received a video of himself masturbating and the stranger demanded he pay them $4,000 or the video would be shared with others.

The man did not send any money.

Police are reminding residents to use caution when communicating online and to never provide personal information or intimate images to someone they do not know. They say these interactions are nearly impossible for police to investigate, so residents should take steps to prevent falling victim to them.