108 boys and men report being blackmailed over nude videos

 

Penang police said the victims were seduced into performing indecent acts via video calls, which were recorded without their knowledge.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang police have received 108 reports from boys and men aged from 13 to 64 of being blackmailed over videos showing them naked or performing indecent acts.

The victims had reported losses totalling RM589,685 since 2020.

Penang police chief Shuhaily Mohd Zain said one victim was driven to take his life out of shame, after he could not raise enough funds to pay his blackmailer.

He said the suspects would seduce the victims to perform indecent acts via video calls, which were then recorded without their knowledge.

The victims would then receive a threatening text that forced them to pay a sum of money. If they failed to do so, their nude videos would be posted on social media, he added.

“Last year, a man committed suicide after being too distressed and ashamed when he was caught naked on video by the suspect, who demanded a lot of money from him,” he told reporters here today.

Shuhaily said last year, there was a drastic increase in these cases, with 80 cases reported involving losses totalling RM404,335 compared with 17 cases with losses amounting to RM76,300 in 2020.

Eleven of these cases were reported between January and February this year, with victims losing RM109,050.

He said from 2020 until last month, 39 individuals had been arrested and 15 cases were solved. - FMT