Hongkong: Atleast 4 women including 59 people became victims of extortion in which they were tricked into undressing during video chats in Hongkong, resulting in losses exceeding HK$1.9 million (US$244,430), reports South China Morning Post.
As per the police, extortionists, often women, take off their clothes in front of their webcams to lure male victims into doing the same and then secretly recording the acts.
They use the footage to coerce victims into payment by threatening to share the videos online or with the person’s relatives and friends. Police said the scammers also pose as “highly educated, high-income and physically attractive” handsome men to engage with women on social media.
“They use sweet talk to learn about the victims’ personal lives and interests to manipulate them,” the police said. “Police received 59 cases of naked-chat blackmail, with scammers extorting more than HK$1.9 million,” they added.