How to Spot Suspicious Social Media Accounts

Released: July 9, 2025 at 8:21 a.m.

In 2024, Cybertip.ca received over 2,300 sextortion reports, with 63% of incidents occurring on Instagram or Snapchat. In Winnipeg, cases of sextortion have skyrocketed over the last few years, with young men ages 16-21 most prominently targeted.

To help combat these criminals, Cybertip.ca has released tips on spotting suspicious social media accounts.

Three things you should look for to identify suspicious accounts are:

  1. Was the account recently created?
  2. Does the account have few followers, while following many accounts?
  3. Is the person behind the account really the person in the profile picture?

Read the Cybertip.ca Alert for more information on how to spot these accounts and what to do if your child has been victimized online.

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