Some news stories provide an example of how good judgment can be used to sidestep a personal calamity or, on the other hand, how the failure to do so can lead to potential trouble. The recent case of a young Fayetteville man falls into the latter category.

The case involves a man who contacted Fayetteville police on Oct. 15 about a personal issue that arose after he complied with a request he received through Instagram.

Fayetteville Police Department spokesman Jeff Harris said the 19-year-old resident told officers he was being blackmailed by an unknown person via Instagram.

The man said the unknown person requested nude photos, and the Fayetteville resident told the cops that he complied, Harris said, adding that the unknown person was able to access the man’s phone number and put the phone number on the photos.

It was then that the person contacted the 19-year-old, making accusations and threatening to send the photos to the man’s contacts unless he paid $100, said Harris.

Fortunately for the Fayetteville man, he did not send the money and the photos were not published, Harris noted.

The story of this experience serves as a cautionary tale, with Harris advising people to refuse to send compromising photos or any personal information being requested.