Between March and April 2024, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has received more than 70 reports of victims receiving extortionary letters via post.

According to an Apr. 19 news release from SPF, such letters contain "manipulated photographs where the publicly sourced pictures of the victims' faces would be superimposed on obscene photographs of a man and a woman purportedly in an intimate and compromising position".

The letters also warned of "threatening consequences" unless the receivers contact the email address provided in the letters.

In one of the reports to SPF, a 50-year-old victim lost S$20,000 after responding to the email address and transferring the money to a bank allegedly provided by the other party.

Letters appear to utilise public, online info

The police added that based on current cases, the letters would be sent to the victims' workplaces.

When the victims contact the email address, they would be "threatened to transfer money" so as to prevent compromising photos and videos with their face from being exposed on social media.

Based on preliminary investigations, the photographs and workplace addresses, appear to be obtained from publicly available online sources, according to the police.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Report matter to police

With advancements in photo and video editing technology, including the use of Artificial intelligence-powered tools, the police cautioned that "manipulated photos and videos may increasingly be used for extortion."

Those who receive a manipulated photograph or video are advised to remain calm and ignore any instructions to initiate contact or make money transfers.

Instead, they should report the matter to the police immediately and put the letter in a separate storage bag for handover to the police.

Additionally, members of the public are encouraged not to share "provocative photos or videos" of themselves online or through chat apps, as these "might fall into the wrong hands".

Those who wish to provide any information related to cases of extortionary letters can do so by calling the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submitting them online here.

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