DEAL WITH BLACKMAILERS WITH THE HELP OF LAW, VICTIMS TOLD
Blackmailing, by any means, is punishable by law and victims must not feel intimidated to report it immediately to the authorities concerned, according to legal experts in the UAE.
Failing to report about such incidents, including online blackmailing, is also a crime and so must be brought to the police attention, they added.
Abdul Moneim bin Suwaidan, Emirati lawyer at Bin Suwaidan Firm for Advocates and Legal Counsels, said: “Blackmail is used by criminals to get a financial and material gain or any favour in an illegitimate way.
“In our modern days, the Internet and social media have become a common platform for illegal practices such as fraud, threat, blackmail, insult and libel. We have strict legislations , including UAE Cybercrime Law and the Federal Penal Code, to fight against these widespread crimes that we see on Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp, Twitter or Instagram...
The new Cybercrime Law covers fraud, threat, insult and libel via social media. The previous 1987 law to handle blackmailing was framed when there was no internet nor social networking sites. Those days threat and insult crimes happened over the phone or directly in person.
He added that criminals would most of the time hack into accounts of women on the Internet and alter their profiles photos using Photoshop and other advanced software to blackmail and extort cash or any other benefits from them.
Often the first reaction from the victim would be to panic and succumb to the extortionist’s demands. They would rather pay money to the blackmailers as a quick means to avoid scandals and protect their reputation and social status or jobs.
“However and unfortunately, this is wrong by all means as it will further encourage the other party to make further demands whether with the same victim or others.
“I strongly advise any person who has fallen target to such threats or blackmail to immediately inform the authorities concerned here without any hesitation. We have very resourceful law enforcement bodies, equipped with high-end technology to track suspects down and crack cases in record time. Material evidence is easily obtained to incriminate any suspects involved.”
Why failing to report a crime
The UAE Penal Code also stipulates that people who fail to report those crimes shall be slapped fines. The victim should report such offences to the police to protect the community by taking the blackmailers off the streets.
Bin Suwaidan, strongly recommends that people who are subjected to such threats, should not take the law into their own hands. “No one should get into any physical fight or personal encounter with the criminals if they are in the UAE. There are authorities concerned for such matters.”
Bin Suwaidan stressed that the Penal Code and the Cybercrime Law in the UAE are very strict and conviction can possibly mean a jail time, a hefty fine of up to (or even more than) Dh1 million, and deportation if the suspect is a foreigner and proven guilty.
Egyptian advocate Hani Hammouda of Kefah Al Zaabi Firm for Advocacy and Legal Consultancy, said that blackmail offenders are subject to severe penalties, irrelevant if their actions are sexually or financially motivated.
“As per Article 16 of the Cybercrime Law, the perpetrator shall be punished by a jail term of no less than two years and a fine ranging between Dh25,000 and Dh500,000 or one of those two penalties. The crime could bear a penalty of up to 10 years in jail if the perpetrator threatens to disgrace the victim.”
Hammouda advises people who are targeted by such offenders to promptly seek the police help for they have a cybercrime unit with a cadre of trained specialists.
“Hesitating and failing to report the crimes would make the situation even worse. Giving in to the criminals’ demands will make way for further escalation of threats as they are greedy and would take advantage of the victim’s vulnerability.”
If the victim is here in the UAE while the suspect is operating from outside, he added, then the best is to hire an attorney, who is specialised in cybercrimes, from the same country as of the blackmailer. The attorney instructs the victim on the right action to take in that regard.
Trust should not be blind
Blackmail often happens after long or casual conversations, so be careful when using social media and never get personal during conversations with strangers to avoid falling prey to such predators.
“One also should not be gullible when making friends online. The contact list on social media is usually all about virtual friends; Thus, trust should not be blind and private and personal life details should not be shared with random people so that they would not be misused later by people with ill intentions,” Youssef Ameen Al Ali, an official at the Dubai public prosecution, said.
The Bur Dubai senior prosecutor recommends that no one keeps his private photos or very personal details stored in their mobile phones or laptops, let alone on social media accounts. He urges any person, who is being blackmailed, to not think twice before reaching out to the law enforcement authorities in the UAE.
“Such reports are dealt with total confidentiality. The suspects are also investigated by professionals and specialists who are well trained for such scenarios and will swiftly end the blackmail and stop the victim’s ordeal,” he said.