'Sextortion' - The new internet devil

What is sextortion?

A form of sexual exploitation that employs non-physical forms of coercion by threatening to release sexual images or information to extort monetary or sexual favors from the victim.

Modus Operandi

1) The scammers persuade the dater to send sexually explicit photos. Once they get the photos, the scammers identify themselves as law enforcement, telling the dater they sent the pictures to a minor.

They then tell the person to pay up in order to avoid arrest.

The scammers are not only identifying themselves as law enforcement, they are also using actual names of officers.

“These people are being contacted by Detective Don Peterson and it isn’t me,” Peterson told the paper.

More than 100 people have paid between $500 to $1,500 to try to avoid arrest.

2) The groups is to create online accounts of females and post pictures of attractive ladies to draw clients. They would then post pornographic images and entice their victims to have video chats with them, usually with lewd content and conversation.

Once they obtain the incriminating videos, the groups would threaten to send the video chats to the victim's friends or relatives unless they send money.

The victims are allegedly forced to send $500 to $2,000 – or P20,000 to P90,000 – through Western Union in exchange for the removal of the online video chat.

How to prevent sextortion?

Talk about sextortion

Sextortion thrives on silence; spread knowledge. Talk to two people and ask them to spread the word to two more. Keep the chain going.

Spread the word

Without a name – SEXTORTION – it is difficult to lift an abuse out of the realm of bad things we know happen and passively accept as the way of the world, and into the realm of things we will no longer tolerate and actively seek to change.

Learn more about sextortion

Once you become aware of sextortion, you see how pervasive it is. Gather and share information about sextortion.

Examine your existing legal framework

Assess the adequacy of your country’s legal framework for prosecuting sextortion.

1) Section 66E of Information Technology Act

Violation of Privacy - Whoever, intentionally or knowingly captures, publishes or transmits the image of a private area of any person without his or her consent, under circumstances violating the privacy of that person

2) Section 67 of Information Technology Act

Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form

3) Section 67A of Information Technology Act

Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc. in electronic form

4) Section 67B of Information Technology Act

Punishment for Child Pornography in electronic form

Interpol investigation

An INTERPOL-coordinated operation targeting organized crime networks behind ‘sextortion’ cases around the world has resulted in the arrest of 58 individuals, including three men linked to the group which harassed Scottish teenager Daniel Perry.

Perry, a 17-year-old victim of an online blackmail attempt, died after jumping off the Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh in July last year.

In the first operation of its kind, information shared between the INTERPOL Digital Crime Centre (IDCC), Hong Kong Police Force, Singapore Police Force and the Philippines National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group led to the identification of between 190 and 195 individuals working for organized crime groups operating out of the Philippines.

Advocate. Rajas Pingle

(Cyber Law and Cyber Security Expert)

Website - www.netlawgic.com

Email - rajas@netlawgic.com

Disclaimer: This does not constitute a legal opinion and would not create Attorney-Client relationship. This article is only for information and awareness purpose and merely a possible interpretation of the law.