Many people, particularly social media users, are victims of extortion, in which photos, videos, or private documents are used to threaten and obtain compensation. We chose this article to shed light on the issue of electronic extortion, its causes, how to respond to cases of electronic extortion, and the UAE law’s perspective on the subject.
Online Extortion
It is considered one of the most common problems that a person, company, or institution can face due to a person’s access to private details and matters that can cause a lot of problems if they are publicized, as the blackmailer tries to obtain compensation or do something specific in exchange for not publishing these private details, which could be private photos, videos, records, documents, or anything else.
Causes of Online Extortion
There are numerous reasons associated with a lack of knowledge and awareness that contribute to extortion, in addition to confusion about how to act in cases of electronic extortion, and the most prominent of these reasons are:
- Developing relationships and connections with strangers and instilling confidence in them.
- Using communication sites to exchange photos with strangers.
- Selling phones before completely and properly deleting personal files.
- Phone theft as well as personal account hacking.
- Lack of e-culture among young people, as well as a lack of parental control over their behavior.
How to act in cases of online extortion
Your falling victim to online extortion is a problem that must be addressed carefully in order to deceive the blackmailer and prevent him from realizing your intentions, and we will offer you some solutions that can assist you:
- Try to learn anything you can about him through your conversation with him.
- Try to put off fulfilling his requests as long as possible, because getting what he wants will not help you get rid of him.
- If your account or device has been hacked, you can seek assistance from experts in this field.
- You can get recommendations or advice from people who have done it before, and don’t let your fear of scandal drag you into it.
- It is highly important to contact security services and the competent authorities and provide all information to be their guide in dealing with cases of online extortion in order to reach the blackmailer and impose the penalty set by UAE law, which we will learn about in the following section of our article.
Penalty for online extortion according to UAE law
The UAE law considered electronic extortion a crime punishable by law, as Article No. 16 of the Law on Combating Information Technology Crimes included the punishment of those who commit an online crime, including online extortion, with imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, and a fine between 250 thousand to 500 thousand UAE dirhams, and it may include The penalty is one of the two penalties or both, and the law is the first reference when considering dealing with cases of electronic extortion.
Some Precautions to Take to Avoid Falling Victim to Online Extortion
You can avoid electronic blackmail by taking the following precautions:
- Avoid sharing private information with strangers via social networking sites and other means of communication, such as photos, videos, and private data.
- When considering selling your phone, make sure to properly delete all of your information and private data to avoid recovery and blackmail.
- Improve your e-knowledge and avoid downloading programs or links from unknown sources.
- Increase your knowledge of the information security system to keep your device safe from hacking.
- You own the information about your personal life. Keep them out of reach of others no matter how closely related they are to you.
Finally, in cases of online extortion, you must act correctly so as not to increase your involvement in the matter, and you must use legal methods to reach the blackmailer and give him his punishment in accordance with the laws and regulations.
