The suspect made serious threats towards the victim, stating that to prevent the victims family from being in danger, nearly 2000 euros had to be paid. The victim complied. During the arrest, multiple phones and data carriers were seized.
Sextortion
This form of fraud is called sextortion. Victims are defrauded, and there are threats that sexually explicit messages or photos will be shared further. To prevent this, payment is required. Earlier this week, the police in East Netherlands also arrested a man from Vlaardingen for sextortion, with multiple women having fallen victim.
Men and Women
Both men and women can become victims of this form of fraud. Women are often asked to send more (nude) images, while men are more frequently required to pay money to stop the situation.
Approach
Crime occurring online is on the rise. The police in East Netherlands is working with a central screening of online digital crime. Cases that have similarities can be better linked to each other. In this case, there is currently visibility on one victim and one suspect. The investigation into potentially more cases is ongoing.
