Update | More than 600 Hongkongers blackmailed by Philippines ‘sextortion’ ring, police say
Syndicate would trick victims into exposing themselves in front of webcams before blackmailing them, authorities say
Police have arrested 58 people in the Philippines for their alleged involvement in a global internet “sextortion” racket that snared countless victims - including more than 600 Hongkongers - in the past 18 months.
Officers working in conjunction with the Hong Kong police, Interpol and US authorities raided premises across northern parts of the country and cracked three syndicates known to be targeting overseas victims.
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According to Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima, the syndicates had created provocative, alluring and entirely fictitious social media accounts to entice unwitting victims into live cybersex activities. The criminal groups would then secretly record the footage, before threatening to expose the victims to their friends and families unless they handed over between US$500 and US$2,000.
Hong Kong police inspector Louis Kwan Chung-yin said more than 470 people from Hong Kong were blackmailed in this way last year, while about 160 had been stung so far this year. In one case, a victim paid the equivalent of US$15,000, he said, adding that the victims were of various ages.
Watch: Dozens held in Philippines over global 'sextortion' ring
In a bid to crack down on “naked chat” blackmail, the police commercial crime bureau launched Operation Globaltee in October last year, which laid the foundations for the bust earlier this week. Of the 48 males and 10 females arrested, three are suspected of being connected with various cases in Hong Kong, police said. A further 15 suspects are still at large.