Police are warning after crooks have been convincing men to send them nude photos online - and then blackmailing them.

Officers in the county have had several reports of incidents in west Cumbria over the past two weeks.

The fraudsters have been targeting men on dating websites or via social media, striking up conversation and then persuading them to send naked photographs or perform explicit acts during an online conversation.

The victims have been threatened afterwards, with the conartists saying they will send the video or photos to family and friends or publish them on social media if the men do not pay up.

Cumbria Police is now reminding people of the dangers of the internet.

Sergeant David Horky from Cumbria Police, said: “The internet has revolutionised our lives in many ways for the better. However there are still dangers associated with it which we would encourage everyone to be aware of.

“These dangers can not only arise on social media accounts but also from people visiting malicious websites and disclosing personal information. It is very important to always be vigilant when supplying images, personal or financial details online.

“It is also important to remember that once you have sent an image online you will have lost control of it forever. This image could then be used to blackmail you.

“We would like to remind people to take precautions against online fraud by checking if an online site is genuine.”

It is not the first time Cumbria Constabulary has been forced to issue such a warning.

In June it revealed it had received three separate incidents within 24 hours, of fraudsters posing as young women to target men.

They too convinced the victims to send naked images, and subsequently tried to blackmail them.

For more information or advice visit the Cumbria police website .