Soldiers snared in online sex scams
Luckily Phil’s friend, a former police officer, stepped in and helped him. “He replied to her pretending he was the police,” Phil said. “He said police had been informed and that she was a key suspect in an illegal operation.
“He told me to close all my social media accounts and change my bank account. It took a while, but I think, I hope, that resolved it.”
Another squaddie – an Army sergeant – was ordered to pay £1,000 into an account in the Philippines after engaging in “Skype sex” with a woman he met online.
Speaking to Soldier magazine, he told how the video cut off while he was midway through the sex act.
When he called the woman back he was faced with the footage he’d just sent – along with the message: “Ha, ha, look at this, I recorded you, this will be very embarrassing for you.”
Panicking, he transferred £250 via Western Union to an account in the Philippines, but the scammers demanded a further £750 within a week.
The sergeant recalled: “The next day I told the lads and, of course, in the Army, a problem shared is a problem laughed at. The blokes were in stitches.”
But one of his colleagues traced the IP address of the account to London. When he told the blackmailer he planned to report them to the police he heard nothing more. SOLDIERS are being targeted in “sextortion” stings that can ruin their lives – or put them and their comrades at risk.
A probe is under way after a number of troops handed over thousands of pounds to blackmailers fronted by beautiful women on dating sites.
After getting victims to send intimate pictures and videos, the crooks threaten to publish them unless they are paid.
Security
But chillingly, Army bosses fear the gangs – believed to be based in the Philippines and the Baltic states – may also try to force soldiers to hand over highly confidential information that can be sold on to other criminals.
The Royal Military Police have issued a warning about the scams and a Sunday People probe found one soldier was pushed to the brink of suicide and another victim’s marriage collapsed.
A senior military source said yesterday: “This is a big problem and it is getting worse. Soldiers shouldn’t be doing this but the reality is more and more are falling for scams.
“Our boys are often posted abroad, so many are lonely and bored. Sharing intimate photos and videos is bad enough. But all it takes is a rogue comment about the soldier’s whereabouts or where his mates are and suddenly there’s a security risk to contend with.”
One married British Warrant Officer said his life was ruined when he was blackmailed after a “Skype sex” session. The 38-year-old, of the Royal Corps of Signals, made instalments totalling £2,500 before reporting it to the Royal Military Police.
The squaddie, who has fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: “I had to enter personal details, including I was a member of the armed services.
“Three days later I got a message from a woman in her late 20s. She was way out of my league – which should have sent the alarm bells ringing. She said she loved men in uniform and also preferred older, married men. Looking back, she seemed to know exactly what buttons to press.”
He gave her his email and Facebook details and they arranged to Skype. He said: “Almost immediately the subject turned to sex. She told me to get into uniform and we began pleasuring ourselves.”
The next day he was sent a video of the footage and a demand for £5,000 to prevent it being posted on Facebook.
The soldier said: “I went into a cold sweat. I thought my career would be finished if the video was published.”
That he was married with children only increased the blackmailer’s power. He said: “She told me this wasn’t a joke, that I had fallen into a trap and that she worked for people who were quite willing to ruin lives.”
The scammer demanded £500 every week for 10 weeks and he wired a total £2,500 to an account in the Far East before confiding in a friend who worked in the RMP. He was advised to “call their bluff”. After closing his Facebook account and changing his email, he heard nothing more.
Painful
But when his wife noticed the cash was missing he had to confess. He said: “She hit the roof. We are now separated and my wife wants a divorce. It was a painful lesson and easily one of the worst periods of my life.” Last year, 1,245 cases of “financially motivated webcam blackmail” were reported in the UK – three times the number in 2015, according to the National Crime Agency. Most victims were men in their 20s. The RMP advises soldiers: “Don’t panic and don’t pay.” Captain Sadie Paterson added: “Victims may feel embarrassed but all RMP are trained to deal with this sensitively. Reports will be dealt with in confidence.” An Army spokesman said: “We take the safety and security of our people extremely seriously and build a culture of safe social media use.”