If a hot girl you’ve never met asks you to take your clothes off in front of a webcam – don’t, because she’s probably a group of middle-aged men, Hong Kong police have warned.
The force’s cybersecurity bureau has revealed that more HongKongers than ever are falling victim to online “sextortion”, with the 766 cases in the first nine months of this year doubling the number reported in 2014.
“Be alert when a pretty girl suddenly adds you on Facebook or on Skype,” Chief Inspector Sean Lin said, according to the SCMP.
He explained how victims – nearly all of whom are male – are first contacted via a social media profile that appears to belong to an attractive woman. “She” then invites the victim to take his clothes off via webcam, stripping herself as encouragement.
“But the victim had no idea the so-called live video he was watching was a pre-recorded clip prepared by the gangs,” said Lin. “The victim is actually speaking to and stripping in front of a group of middle-aged men.”
The middle-aged men record the unsuspecting stripper taking his clothes off and doing bad things to himself, before using the video to extort thousands of dollars via the medium of blackmail. It apparently takes the gang less than five minutes to snare a victim.
Sextortion swindlers got away with a total of HKD2.6 million to September this year, compared to HKD1.6 million during the same nine months of 2014. No-one has been arrested for the crimes as the gangs are thought to be based in Southeast Asia, but Lin said they are considering asking Interpol for help.
In the meantime, he advised sex-starved surfers to be vigilant and avoid getting naked online. Good life advice if ever we’ve seen it.
