Rexburg Police warn of rising ‘sextortion’ scams targeting local youth

The Rexburg Police Department is sounding the alarm over a sharp increase in “sextortion” cases, a digital blackmail scheme that investigators say is increasingly targeting high school and college-aged victims in the area.

Detective John Bone is a digital forensics investigator with the department and is concerned with the number of cases he has seen and the mental health impact it is making on community members.