Limerick man paid over cash to prevent 'sharing' of compromising videos

GARDAI are warning of an increase in blackmail incidents - including two which involved compromising videos and images which the culprit threatened to share online.

"Blackmail can be for revenge but it is usually for money. In the two incidents I am highlighting, the people involved shared compromising images with complete strangers online. If you post an image online, you no longer have control over that image," said divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch.

In one incident, which occurred in Limerick, a young man who lives in the Mayorstone area of the city was contacted through social media with a message that threatened to send a compromising video of him to all of his contacts."

"The young man was shown the video, he panicked and paid the money (€1,000) but it did not stop there. The demands for more cash increased until he eventually contacted Gardai. He was advised to shut down all of his online accounts and change his phone number," said Sgt Leetch.

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A separate investigation is underway in the case of a man, in his forties, who had developed a online sexual relationship with a woman.

"The female had been recording him and she threatened to share these videos on Facebook if he did not pay over money. This man refused to pay but he had to shut down all of his online accounts and change his contact details," stated Sgt Leetch.

The garda advice is to never pay any money and to report the blackmail to gardai who will deal with the matter "sensitively and confidentially".