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Subscribe to RSSPolice in Singapore have warned men to be more careful about whom they talk to over webcams, reporting an alarming increase in the number of men who've been lured into nude conversations with "foreign" women, only to be blackmailed with video-chat recordings.
In terms of sheer numbers, the increase isn't much — from 11 in 2011 to more than 50 last year — but it suggests a burgeoning scam that could ensnare many more men in the future, the national police force said in a bulletin that was first reported by Singapore's Straits Times newspaper.
Police singled out Facebook and Tagged as especially popular vehicles for the extortion scheme, in which "female foreign suspects ... would commence a webcam conversation with the victims and initiate cybersex by undressing themselves first before persuading the male victims to appear nude or perform sexual acts in front of the webcams."
"Unknown to the victims, the suspects had recorded the acts," police said. "These suspects would then threaten to circulate compromising photographs and videos of the victims to extort money from them."
The spike in cases was first noted halfway through last year, leading CrimeWatch, a joint program of the national police and the National Crime Prevention Council, to "re-create" the scam in a (safe for work but entertainingly cheesy) video in June:
In a video titled "Blinded by love, she acted in a moment of folly," Singapore police and the National Crime Prevention Council re-enacted a cybersex extortion case last year.
Graham Cluley, a consultant with the Internet security firm Sophos, reported the bulletin Monday on the company's appropriately named Naked Security blog and warned of another potential hazard:
"You can imagine how a man, believing he is being seduced online by a sexy woman, might be all too eager to click on a link she suggests or run a malicious program on his computer. Before he knows it, his computer could be under the control of a hacker."
Police offered these tips to keep your money in your wallet:
- Be wary of messages from unknown people who want to befriend you.
- Do not accede to any request that may put you in vulnerable positions, such as performing compromising acts in front of a webcam or giving personal details about yourself when interacting with other Internet users.
- If anyone attempts to extort money from you or should you become a victim of such an attempt, call the police immediately.
- Do not remit or transfer money.
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Do guys really care if someone threatens to post nude pics of them online? Unless their married.
Unless their married what? You finished your sentence too soon.
"they are" = "they're"
Seriously, though, if you think a woman wants to see a man naked, you probably deserve to be blackmailed.
I can't help myself..... As long as it's tit for tat.
I take my clothes off faster than a girl's dress on Prom night when i see a webcam.
It only works with Asian guys... short so the mug and their junk in the same shot...;)
LOL, I think of how thd Kadashians and Paris Hilton made a career out of bumping uglies and I laugh and I laugh ....These Asians guys just don't know how work it.
If there was ever a shortage and demand for the need of common sense, it would appear to be seen on the Internet, especially in areas like this. Surely foolishness and sex are Siamese's twins often brought into life together. Which the wiser avoid for the consequences they raise, and opt for a safer way.
Then again, one just can't fix foolishness, and some seem born to serve merely as perfect examples for all others, of everything not to do in life. At least until they die in the end.
Sex definitely sell, that why we have prostitution and pornography in our societies. Prostitution is the oldest profession and pornography is a multibillion dollars industry. People will do anything including using sex as scam and blackmail to make quick bucks. Unfortunately innocent victim get caught in such scam from participating in such act which they shouldn't do in the first place if everything sounds too good to be true.
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