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With rapid development of smart technology, more and more people of various ages in the UAE are falling victims to cyber blackmailing. The illegal practice raises concerns among the public as well as authorities, which are taking great efforts to curb it.
In many cases, abusers of both sex prompt their young victims into sex chats or sharing images and then threaten them saying the pictures would be circulated among their family and friends on social media. Then they start demanding money continuously, to which, the victims unwillingly comply with, fearing disgrace for the family. However, some of the victims report the cases to the police.
According to Khalil Al Ali, senior officer at Al Ameen Services, the issue of cyber blackmailing has increased with the increase in the influence of social media. There are other cyber crimes as cyber theft, phishing and many more. However, cyber blackmailing cases are increasing every year, with the Dubai Police already registering 13 cases in the first quarter of 2016.
Dubai Police's Cyber Investigation Department handled 1,820 cyber crimes in 2015, registering an increase of 239 crimes. Majority of the cases were cyber blackmailing cases. In Sharjah, the number of blackmailing cases reported in 2015 is 120.
In Ajman, only four cyber blackmailing cases were reported in 2014 against 17 cases in 2015. In the first quarter of this year, three cases have already been reported.
Recent statistics from Al Ameen Services showed that on an average, 1.5 person is blackmailed every day in the UAE. While 450 cases are recorded in the AGCC countries, many of those cases show involvement of organised criminal gangs.
Khalil Al Ali said a gang of three persons, who used porn films to lure people into their trap, managed to fish out Dh170,000 from a GCC national. He sited a case where a cyber blackmailing victim committed suicide in Morocco and said in many cases family members of the victims are also threatened. In different GCC countries, 22 women fell victim to the gang, he said.
Khalil Al Ali stressed that no website is completely secured and urged the public to be careful while using social media websites. Around 200,000 illicit pictures were hacked from the SnapChat application, he added.
What police say
Lt-Col Saeed Al Hajiri, Director of the Cyber Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said that most of the cases registered in Dubai were cases of sexual or financial blackmail and duping firms.
He pointed out that cyber crimes in Dubai registered an increase of almost 23 per cent in 2015.
"As the use of modern technology spreads among more people, there is an increase in cyber crimes too. However the department has been taking all preventive measures using innovative methods."
A top official at the Sharjah Police defined the cyber blackmailing as an act of threat to share information about a person to the public, their friends or family, unless a demand for money is met. "These types of cyber crimes can be committed against individuals, companies and governments and often involve financial gain, sexual exploitation and defamation."
What the law says? Salem Khalifa Al Ghafli from Ajman prosecution explained the punishments for blackmailers laid out in Federal Law No 5 of 2012.One can get jail for a maximum of two years and a fine ranging from Dh250,000 to Dh500,000, or either of the two.The punishment is imprisonment up to 10 years if the subject [commits] a felony or engages in matters against honour or morals," Al Ghafli said. |
Globally, the precious metal was trading at $2,414.41 per ounce, down by 0.5 per cent this morning
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