Internet blackmail in the UK

Blackmail and extortion on the internet was the topic of a blog post that I wrote, back in 2011, following a spate of cases where adult victims were induced to part with private information, then to perform a sexual act which was secretly being video recorded. (Blackmail and Extortion of Men on the Internet)

Shortly after, the victim would receive an email with a link to a public video, displaying their faces and private parts. The title of the video would describe the victim as a paedophile or a pervert and often will include their full name, their residential or work address, their occupation and in one case the name of their kids. The link would also include a demand for money in return for the removal of the video from the internet and the price would  depend on the victim's occupation and their public standing.

Among those who have fallen for this scum are school teachers, doctors, government employees and respectable accountants. Each for their own reason, mainly in pursuit of friendship, have ended up in a terrible place. Most victims were naïve and lonely or were just looking for a bit of momentary excitement in their lives. They simply did not realise the horrendous consequences that could follow.

The majority of the victims of internet blackmail that I helped are intelligent men and women, some with immense life experience. Eventually they managed to deal with the situation effectively and, to my knowledge, have all moved on with their lives.

• Children duped into undressing by chat-room blackmailers