MORE Malaysians are becoming victims of naked video blackmail scams after being caught in traps laid by strangers in social media chats during the Covid-19 pandemic, political parties warned.

The parties said their complaints bureaus have received numerous appeals for help. They said the scammers were taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to befriend and trap victims, including those who are married and have a family.

They added that people have been especially vulnerable since socialising has been largely limited to the online platforms after restrictions were imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Federal Territory DAP’s public complaints bureau chief Yew Jia Haur said that the department had received several reports this year from male and female victims.

“The youngest was a 14-year-old and the oldest was more than 50 years of age. Some of them were students, divorced women, and middle-aged men with families,” Yew said.

All of the victims had spent a week or so chatting with the other party on social media, before eventually being persuaded to take their clothes off, he said.

“Prior to which, the scammer would send a link to the victims, saying that there were personal photos of themselves in the link. However, the link does not exist.

“It may be a virus hacking software. Once clicked, it may obtain your address book, which the scammer will then threaten to send your photos to your friends,” Yew said.

Most of the victims received blackmail messages the day after chat in which they have revealed themselves. Some even found one or two of their friends have been emailed the incriminating images.

Thus, victims would panic and pay up immediately, he explained.

Usually, the scammer would not ask for a high price at first, but will gradually increase this as time goes on, Yew said.

“It may start at RM1,000, and when the scammer notices you could afford it, they ask for up to RM10,000,” he said.

In previous years, he said these scams were prevalent on Facebook, but this year, the majority of cases involved WhatsApp.

“Whenever a victim asks for help, my suggestion is to call the police first. After which, if possible, replace the mobile phone number and Facebook account, and make a clean break,” Yew said.

He emphasised that what the scammers ultimately want is money and posting photos to various social media is a medium to intimidate the victims.

“If they can’t get the money within a week, they give up. This was the most effective way to deal with the related cases so far,” he said.

Yew recommended people ensure friends and family contacts saved in their address book not be listed as such to prevent them from exposure to fraud after a phone is lost and picked up by strangers.

Beware of dating platforms

MCA national public complaints and service deputy bureau chief Chua Jian Boon said he has had have received 15 requests for help from victims in just one month.

Chua said that since August, pornography had increased sharply among the various types of online fraud cases.

“The youngest victim was 21 years old and the oldest was 32, mostly male,” he said, adding that method of each scam was similar.

“They added new friends through dating platforms and, after actively chatting with the other party, they fell into the trap,” he said.

Chua told of a story involving a Malaysian victim working in Singapore, who lived in a dormitory.

“At 10pm one night, the scammer asked him to go to the toilet and began imploring him to take his clothes off.

“The victim stripped naked. The ‘girl’, on the other hand, did not show her face but revealed naked images.

“In fact, these were recorded or pornographic videos. The victim then received a threat the next day for money,” he said.

Chua said the maximum sum demanded was S$3,000 (RM9,280).

After Chua shared the cases on Facebook, he said more had sent him a direct message reporting similar cases.

“The victims came from many parts of Johor, including Johor Baru, Kulai, Senai and Kluang. Some even have families, thus they dared not stand up and only requested help through this way,” he said.

He encouraged victims to make police reports, so that the authorities have a record for further action.

“If there is a record, it will help us to follow-up. It will also help us to emphasise to the police that it is not just an individual case, and therefore greater action is needed,” he said.

Chua said that he understood many had indeed relied on social media and dating apps for entertainment and social connections during the pandemic.

However, he reminded the public to not be driven by lust and greed, falling into online shopping scams, online loan scams, and nude scams.

“Even if you try to make new friends, you must take care of your own body. If you encounter such things, you must speak up because I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

Chua also called on the Communications and Multimedia Ministry to pay attention to local dating software and strengthen the identity verification function.

Gerakan’s Public Services and Complaints Bureau chief Henry Teoh said the bureau also frequently came across such cases.

“Victims would rather pay to settle the matter. Unless the blackmailer keeps harassing until the victim cannot afford or became irritated by it, only then the victim will report on the case,” Teoh said.

So far, he has received one help request this year.

On September 14, Selangor police said they have received 380 reports of naked scams in the past eight months, which was seven times greater than the number of reports made last year.

The police added that these might not be accurate numbers as many victims are afraid to come forward. – September 23, 2021.