Philippine Police and Interpol busted an online extortion ring that would trick people into exposing themselves on the Internet, and then using the imagery to blackmail them.  58 people were taken into custody in Manila and other Philippine cities.

One of the gang’s victims allegedly was 17-year old Scottish youth Daniel Perry from Dunfermline.  He thought he was chatting with an American girl his own age.  The gang threatened to show the webcam footage to his family if he did not pay up – he didn’t pay.  Instead, the 17-year-old jumped from a bridge in July 2013.  Daniel’s death sparked the international effort to shut down this gang.

Philippine National Police say more than 300 electronic devices – computers and such – were seized in the operation and will be searched. 

The scheme involved the suspects creating fake accounts on Facebook, posing as “young attractive females” to lure their marks and convince them to engage in cybersex.  Then, the extortion then begins.  The suspects would threaten to expose the videos online unless their victims paid up, demanding hundreds or even thousands of dollars per victim.