A 23-YEAR-OLD man was allegedly blackmailed into paying RM9,000 after engaging in a nude video call with a woman he met on a dating application.
Gombak police chief Assistant Commissioner Noor Ariffin Mohd Nasir said the victim, who works in an industrial area in Taman Industrial Bolton, Batu Caves, lodged a report on 5 November after making the payments.
“Initial investigations revealed that the victim had befriended a woman through the dating application Tantan, which is popular among Chinese-speaking users and similar to Tinder and OMI,” he said.
Noor Ariffin added that the suspect later contacted the victim via WeChat and initiated a video call, during which both parties were nude.
“Subsequently, the suspect began sending threatening WhatsApp messages claiming to have recorded the session, demanding money from the victim to prevent the video from being circulated,” he said.
The victim reportedly transferred RM9,000 into two separate accounts under a digital bank licensed by Bank Negara Malaysia.
“The case is being investigated to identify the owner of the bank accounts involved and the phone number used to contact the victim,” Noor Ariffin said, adding that the case is classified as extortion under Section 384 of the Penal Code.
He cautioned the public to exercise care when interacting with strangers online and to avoid sharing intimate images or participating in indecent acts over video calls.
Those found guilty of extortion face a prison term of up to 10 years, a fine, whipping, or a combination of these penalties. - November 9, 2025
