Malaysian man is P45,062 poorer after ‘sextortion’ by Filipina

Malaysian Kelvin Chong shows photos of a Filipina ‘sextortion’ suspect at a press conference. The Star/ANN

KUALA LUMPUR—A married Malaysian man looking for some fun on cyberspace ended up RM3,300 poorer after being blackmailed by a “beautiful Filipina.”

Salesman Kelvin Chong, 37, was ecstatic when the woman, who introduced herself as Sarah Mae, wanted to befriend him on social discovery site Tagged.

Two weeks into their online “relationship” on May 1, the woman sent Chong a Facebook message, saying that if she were to show herself nude to him over Skype, he should do the same.

When she showed several provocative pictures of herself, he reciprocated by showing parts of his nude body and sent her four erotic pictures of himself.

The next day, he was shocked when she sent him a list of all his family members and friends on Facebook and threatened to expose his nude video clip.

“If you don’t pay RM2,500, I will post the video,” she warned. The amount is about P45,062.

Out of fear of embarrassment, Chong relented and sent the money via money transfer services to an address in Marikina City in the Philippines. But it wasn’t enough. She called him again and asked for another RM2,500.

Chong negotiated for the amount to be reduced to RM800 (about P11,000) and wired the money the next day.

But he decided to tell his “sextortion” experience to the Malaysian Chinese Association public services and complaints department chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong on Tuesday.

Chong said the department had received 10 similar cases since 2012 and six of the victims were men, adding that cases of “sextortion” involving Filipinas were becoming common in the region.

There are about 600 such cases in Hong Kong, resulting in the detention of 58 Filipinos in the territory.

“You will be paying until you die. Don’t pay; fight to the end and don’t even give one cent,” Chong advised victims.

Philippine police, backed by Interpol, have arrested dozens of suspected members of an online extortion syndicate who duped hundreds of victims worldwide into exposing themselves in front of webcams or engaging in lewd chats.

At least 58 Filipino suspects in the capital, Manila, and three other regions were arrested last week after investigators from Interpol, the US Homeland Security Department and police from three other countries traced online chats from some of the victims’ computers. With a report from Associated Press

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