Chat friends turn into blackmailers in cyber world

Ajman - Dh250,000 fine and 10 years in jail for cyber blackmailing

Many cyber blackmailing cases have gone unreported as families prefer to protect their reputation rather than filing a police case, a top Ajman Police official has said.
Dr Mohammed Al Suwaidi, head of the community police, said only 17 cyber blackmailing cases have been reported in Ajman in 2015. Three cases have been reported since the beginning of this year, he added.
Dr Al Suwaidi said that blackmailers exploit the victims and take as much from them, because they know that victims would not report the matter to police as they fear discredit to family. He explained that as per the law, the offenders who misuse the Internet for blackmailing will be awarded with imprisonment of not more than ten years and a fine of Dh250,000.
Cases
He said that one of the reported cases involved a female college student who befriended a gulf national man via social media. They exchanged pictures and the man convinced the girl that he would marry her and asked her to send him nude pictures and prompted her for cyber sex through webcam, which she refused. He threatened to post her nude pictures on Facebook. The girl decided to report the case to the police, who arrested the man and was asked to marry the girl. However, she refused to marry the man.
In another case, a young girl reported about a man who befriended her on Facebook with a fake profile of a woman. The profile had a feminine name and the profile picture of a woman. The girl said she confirmed it was a woman after talking to the accused as his voice sounded womanish. He talked several times with the girl over the phone and convinced her to send him her personal pictures. After receiving the picture, he revealed his identity, asking her for sex. He threatened the girl that if she didn't act according to his will, he would circulate her picture via Facebook and WhatsApp. The girl reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested, said Dr Al Suwaidi.
In a third case, a 35-year-old GCC national complained against an Arab woman who threatened him to publish his nude pictures on social media unless he paid her Dh10,000. According to Dr Al Suwaidi, the complainant, a married man, met her on Facebook and she offered to send her nude pictures and cyber sex in return for his photos. After receiving his photos, she asked him to pay her Dh10,000. When he refused to pay the money, the woman threatened to post his conversation with her and pictures on various social media platforms.
The victim reported the matter to the police, who advised him not to pay the amount. However, the woman had posted his photos in various social media platforms, causing marital and family disputes.
Dr Al Suwaidi urged public to avoid trusting people meeting on social media to avoid cyber crimes and called community members to report all kind of cyber blackmailing to the police.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com