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Instagram Creeper Targeting Teens With Fortnite Sextortion Scheme

The scammer will offer to help you advance in the game through a special code in exchange for intimate photos or video footage, but will then threaten to publish the compromising images unless you pay up, Canadian police say.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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A sexual predator has been using Fortnite to try and trick teenagers into sending intimate pictures of themselves, according to Canadian police.

Montreal-area police are investigating four cases tied to the sextortion scheme, CBC News reports. In one of those cases, a victim sent personal photos to the predator, who's been targeting Fortnite players over Instagram.

The scheme works like this: The scammer will offer to help you advance in the game through a special code in exchange for intimate photos or video footage, Canadian police said in a press release. But the scammer will then threaten to publish the compromising images unless you pay up—either with money or more intimate photos.

As is the case with ransomware schemes, Canadian police are urging people not to pay because there's no guarantee the compromising footage won't be released.

The culprit has been using fake profiles on Instagram to target teenage victims. In the four cases the police are investigating, only one sent compromising pictures, Richelieu-Saint-Laurent police department spokesman Luc Roberge told PCMag.

Although these scammers used Fortnite as bait, other games such as Minecraft have also been used, he added. Canadian police are advising teenagers to be careful when talking to people they don't know on the internet. Clicking on shady links sent by strangers is also generally a bad idea. For some peace of mind, you can protect yourself by taping your web camera when it's not in use.

Parents can check out PCMag's picks for best parental control software and the Best Parental Control Apps for Your Phone. And if you truly need help navigating Fornite, check out PCMag's tips for beginners.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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