Police warn against scams involving intimate images and sexually explicit video calls

SINGAPORE – The police have warned the public about the rise of cyber extortion scams involving intimate images and sexually explicit video calls.

At least 52 reports were made since August 2026, with losses amounting to at least $134,000, said the police in an advisory on Sept 3.

In such cases, victims are usually approached through dating apps or social media. After establishing contact, the scammers would persuade the victims to continue the conversation on messaging apps instead.

The victims are convinced to participate in sexually explicit video calls or share intimate photographs, which are secretly recorded or saved by the scammers.

The scammers would then threaten to release the images and recordings or send them to the victims’ family members, friends or social media contacts unless payment is made.

The extortion often continues even after the victims make payment, said the police.

The police advised members of the public to refrain from participating in sexually explicit video calls or sharing photographs especially with people they recently met online.

The public should also be cautious when interacting with strangers on dating apps, social media and other messaging platforms.

They should avoid revealing personal information online and consider setting their social media accounts to private.

If they encounter such scams, victims should not agree to the scammers’ demands or make any payment.

They should also cease all communication with the scammers, save screenshots of the conversation and transaction records, and make a police report as soon as possible.