Blackmailers using doctored indecent images and threatening to circulate them online if victims don’t pay up, Hong Kong police warn
- Some residents have recently received emails from fraudsters claiming to have had them under surveillance and uncovered serious issues, police say
- Similar blackmail scams earlier emerged in mainland China and Taiwan using nearly identical photos, the force says
Blackmailers are using doctored indecent images and threatening to circulate them online if their victims do not pay money in a new ruse targeting Hongkongers, police have warned.
The latest scam prompted the force to issue an alert on its CyberDefender Facebook page, urging the public to remain vigilant.
Police said some residents had recently received emails from fraudsters who claimed to have had them under surveillance for some time and uncovered serious financial and lifestyle issues.
The scammers claimed to possess video and photographic evidence and threatened to send it to major media outlets and relevant authorities if the victims did not pay them money, according to the force.
In the emails, the scammers attached manipulated photos into which the recipient’s headshots had been digitally inserted.
The swindlers told their targets in the emails: “I have been entrusted to investigate you. After seeing this, contact me immediately for a discreet resolution. Otherwise, all information will be handed over to the principal and exposed. Time is running out.”
Police posted the warning on their CyberDefender Facebook page last week, saying similar blackmail scams had earlier emerged in mainland China and Taiwan using nearly identical photos with facial differences only.
