Dating app extortion

A U. of I. student reported that he had been the victim of an ongoing extortion scam between December 2021 and Feb. 17. After communicating with an unknown person through a dating app, the purported father of that unknown person called the student to say that the student had been communicating with a minor. The father demanded money under the threat of contacting the police. Several other demands for money were made over time, with the student paying a total of $4,500. The student later discovered that none of the claims were true.