A sextortion ring has been uncovered following a joint investigation between Interpol’s cybercrime and police visions in Singapore and Hong, Bleeping Computer claims.
Interpol claims that 12 suspects who are believed to be core members of this criminal organization were arrested in July and August after investigators found that they asked potential victims via online sex and dating platforms to download a malicious mobile app to engage in ‘naked chats’.
Despite this, their targets didn’t know this app was designed to steal the contents of their phones’ contact lists which the cybercriminals would use to blackmail the victims, threatening to share their nude videos with relatives and friends in their address books.
However, their targets didn’t know this app was designed to steal the contents of their phones’ contact lists which the cybercriminals would use to blackmail the victims, threatening to share their nude videos with relatives and friends in their address books.
Interpol said, “A sharp rise in sextortion reports has been observed around the world in recent years, mirroring a rise in other types of cybercrime that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“INTERPOL’s awareness campaigns on cyber threats have emphasized that just one click – on an unverified link or to send an intimate photo or video to someone – can suffice to fall victim to cybercrime.”
Interpol’s executive director of police services Stephen Kavanagh added, “Having a criminal access the most intimate aspects of your life and using this information against you to extort enormous sums of cash is anyone’s nightmare – and the most frightening part is that anyone could fall victim to this type of crime.
“Sextortionists sometimes count on their victims feeling too much shame to go to the police, but reporting these crimes is often the first step to bringing these criminals to justice.”
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