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She formed relationships with anonymous people she met in video games
Abu Dhabi authorities have dealt with a teenage girl who was blackmailed by a stranger she met online.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Mubarak Al Qubaisi, head of the Child Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Abu Dhabi Police, the unidentified person threatened that if the girls did not give them a certain amount of money, She posts her private photos on social media. .
The teen befriended a predator who lives outside the UAE through a video game she was playing, the official said. Their relationship continued to grow, and the two began exchanging photos and videos on social media. The man later threatened to post them online if she didn’t give him the money. She then reported the incident to the police and the team took immediate action to save her before she sent him the money.
“Parents have a responsibility to protect their children and to be mindful of the video games they play,” Al Qubaisi said.
“Parents should pay close attention to their children’s internet usage to prevent them from falling victim to scams.”
Abu Dhabi Police recently said that through its “Our Country is a Trust” programme, it has responded to multiple cases and reports of cybercrime against children and young people.
Al Qubaisi noted that online predators often monitor the activities of children and teens on video games and various social media sites, including Snapchat and Instagram.
Authorities have been warning that these online predators are encouraging vulnerable teens to share explicit photos of themselves on social media before extorting them. They also warned that young women are the most vulnerable to online extortion because of their fear of falling victim to cybercriminals.
According to authorities, some victims of such extortion are reluctant to report criminals to authorities for fear they will face charges of wrongdoing. This sometimes results in extortionists attacking victims or extorting money from them.
People have been advised to report online criminals to authorities, including the police and other security agencies, so they can be apprehended and punished.
The Abu Dhabi Judiciary has launched an app called “Inform the Prosecution”, which accepts complaints from the public, thus maintaining confidentiality.
Officials earlier pointed out that the growing use of modern technology by more and more people has led to an increase in cybercrime, as young people spend hours on social media — sometimes unsupervised — making them vulnerable. easy target for criminals.
Under UAE online laws, those convicted of extortion face two years in prison and a fine of between 250,000 and 500,000 dirhams.
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– ismail@khaleejtimes.com
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