If we could share just one New Year’s Resolution for 2021 it might be this: don’t send nude photos. While this might seem like a joke, it is very serious to victims of romance scams who have been extorted because they shared private photos with someone who turned out to be a scammer.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline has seen a sharp increase in calls from romance scam victims who have shared compromising photos. Scammers, who have been particularly active during the pandemic, develop virtual relationships with victims online and eventually ask for seductive photos. Once they have them, they then threaten to share the photos with the victim’s personal and professional contacts unless the victim pays money. The fact that scammers can readily violate people’s trust in such a personal way is a reminder that you can never fully trust someone you’ve never met in person.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.