At least 52 cyber extortion cases involving intimate photos or explicit video calls have been reported in Singapore since August 2026, with victims losing at least S$134,000.
According to 8world, citing a Singapore Police Force advisory issued on Thursday, 3 September, such cases have been on the rise.
The scams typically begin on dating apps or social media, where scammers approach their targets and strike up conversations.
Scammers Move Victims to Messaging Apps
After making contact, scammers may persuade victims to continue chatting on a messaging platform.
They then try to get victims to take part in nude video calls or exchange intimate photographs.
Victims may not realise that their video calls are being secretly recorded or that the photographs they send are being saved, according to the police advisory as reported by 8world.
Once the scammers have the material, the tone changes.They threaten to publish the intimate images or recordings online, or send them to the victim's family members, friends or social media contacts, unless money is paid.
This type of offence is generally referred to by the police as cyber extortion, which falls under cyber-enabled crime, meaning technology or an online platform is used to facilitate the offence.
Paying May Not Make the Threat Go Away
The police warned that complying with the demand does not necessarily end the problem.
Scammers may continue asking for more money even after a victim has already paid.
This is consistent with previous police advice on online extortion. In an earlier advisory involving compromising images, SPF warned victims against transferring money because doing so could encourage further demands.
For the latest cases, police advised victims not to comply with the scammers' demands or make payments.
Instead, they should stop communicating with the scammer, preserve evidence such as messages, screenshots and transaction records, and lodge a police report as soon as possible.
The figures reported since August represent at least 52 police reports and losses of at least S$134,000 as of the police advisory on 3 September.
