The Police would like to alert members of the public to recent reported cases of extortionary emails. In end-November 2024, the Police have received more than 20 reports where victims received extortionary emails containing manipulated screenshots where the publicly sourced pictures of the victims’ faces would be superimposed on obscene screenshots of a man and a woman purportedly in an intimate and compromising situation. The emails warned of threatening consequences unless the victims transfer 50,000 USDT to a cryptocurrency e-wallet account provided in the email.
Based on the current cases, the emails would be sent to the victims’ work email addresses. Based on preliminary investigations, the information of the victims, such as photographs and work email addresses, were believed to be obtained from publicly available online sources. Police investigations are ongoing.
With advancements to photo and video editing technology, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered tools, manipulated photographs, videos and screenshots may increasingly be used for extortion. Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- If you receive a manipulated photograph, video or screenshot, remain calm. Ignore any instructions to initiate contact or make money/cryptocurrency transfers. Doing so emboldens the other party to extort more money/cryptocurrency from you. Report the matter to the Police immediately and provide a copy of the email to the Police.
- Never share provocative photos/videos/screenshots of yourself online or through chat apps as they might fall into the wrong hands.
If you wish to provide any information related to such cases, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
27 November 2024 @ 4:05 PM