Blackmailed over explicit images of yourself? Here’s what you need to do

SINGAPORE – If you’ve received an email from someone demanding money and threatening to distribute explicit doctored photos of you, don’t respond.

Instead, call the police and hand the email over to them.

On November 27, police said they had received more than 20 reports of such emails being sent to victims in late November.

Victims’ faces are superimposed on photographs of people in intimate and dangerous situations.

Victims are threatened and asked to transfer 50,000 USDT, a digital currency, to the cryptocurrency e-wallet account specified in the email. One USDT is worth approximately $1.35.

Threats are sent to victims’ corporate email addresses. Police said those addresses, along with photos, are believed to have been obtained from publicly available online sources.

“With advances in photo and video editing technology, including the use of AI-powered tools, manipulated photos, videos and screenshots can increasingly be used for extortion purposes,” they added.

People who receive such e-mails are advised to ignore these e-mails and report the situation to the police.