A SCAMMER threatened to ruin the life of a Cheshire Facebook user by posting fake photos of them engaging in a sexual act in the presence of a child unless they paid a ransom of £7,500.

Officers at Cheshire Police have advised people not to befriend people they don’t know on the social network following the blackmail scam.

The incident happened after a Facebook user accepted a friend request from someone they believed to be a woman.

Shortly after accepting the friend request, the victim was mortified to discover that a doctored image of them had been sent to their employer’s Facebook page.

The image showed the victim engaging in a sexual act in the presence of a child.

The victim then received a message warning that their lives would be ruined by making the image – and others like it – unless they stumped up £7,500.

Cheshire Police have now issued a warning to Facebook users across the county regarding the blackmail scam.

Anyone with information about the scam is urged to call Cheshire Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.