Scam victim, 19, blackmailed over nude ‘medical check-up’ pix too
BATU PAHAT: A teenager here was not only duped in a scholarship scam, but also ended up being blackmailed over nude photographs and a video clip.
It is learnt that the 19-year-old victim befriended a woman on social media on Sept 9 and was offered a scholarship to further her studies.
As part of the deal, the victim was told to provide certain documents and made to do a “physical medical check-up” online.
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It is believed that she refused at first, but gave in after the suspect coaxed her by saying she would be passing up a substantial amount of money.
The victim then uploaded pictures of herself clothed and unclothed, as well as a video, for the “check-up”.
Batu Pahat OCPD Asst Comm Ismail Dollah said the teenager also agreed to pay RM600 as a processing fee.
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He said she lodged a police report on Sunday (Sept 11) after being contacted by a man who threatened to circulate the photographs and video if she did not transfer RM1,000 into a bank account.
“On Monday (Sept 12), we arrested a man in his 30s and seized his mobile phone and ATM card to assist in investigations,” he said, adding that police have managed to solve at least two other similar cases.
ACP Ismail advised the public to be careful and not be swayed by offers of scholarships or jobs which require them to carry out inappropriate actions online.
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In an unrelated case, Batu Pahat police busted a bitcoin mining operation for suspected electricity theft and seized about RM200,000 worth of equipment in a raid on two shoplots.
ACP Ismail said a team from the district police headquarters along with Tenaga Nasional staff raided the shops along Jalan Budi Utara in Taman Wawasan at 11am on Monday.
He said the equipment seized included 204 pieces of bitcoin mining hardware, 11 port switches, two monitors and two routers.
He said the premises were closed at the time of the raid and no arrest had been made as yet.