Man nabbed for blackmailing Naga woman

Local

A SUPPOSED opportunity to work as a model became the entry point of an alleged online extortion scheme that led to the arrest of a man accused of accessing a woman’s private files and demanding money from her.

The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit- Central Visayas (RACU 7) said operatives arrested the suspect in Metro Manila after the Regional Trial Court Branch 76 in Naga City issued a warrant in connection with the case.

RACU-7 chief Col. Christopher N. Luyun said the suspect faces charges of robbery with intimidation under Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Luyun said the case stemmed from a report filed by a woman from Naga who received an online message offering a collaboration with a clothing apparel brand.

The victim clicked a link sent through email, which later turned out to be part of a phishing scheme.

She was asked to provide her one-time password and two-factor authentication details, allowing the suspect to allegedly access her account.

Through the access, the suspect allegedly obtained the victim’s photos and videos, including explicit private images.

Luyun said the suspect then demanded payment from the victim and threatened to upload and share the files through Telegram if she failed to comply.

The victim sent money three times, amounting to P37,000, before realizing that she had been deceived.

Investigators traced the account that received the money and identified the suspect as a resident of Batasan, Quezon City.

RACU-7 filed a complaint before the Naga court, which subsequently issued the warrant of arrest.

The Quezon City Police District later arrested the suspect and turned him over to the issuing court, with RACU 7 assisting in the operation.

The court recommended bail at P200,000.

Authorities said the suspect allegedly used fake modeling opportunities to approach young women, establish trust, and obtain personal information, including iCloud account details.

He allegedly used the information to access private files and demand money from victims.

Luyun reminded the public to remain cautious when dealing with online offers that promise quick or large financial gains.

He said that while he is new to his position at RACU 7, records show that there have been other cases involving similar incidents.

"Lagi naming sinasabi na when it is too good to be true, ibig sabihin po pagmalayo sa katotohan kahit pa sabihin nila na kikita tayo nang malaki na pera... wag po tayo basta-bastang maniniwala," he said.(MyTVCebu)