SCAMMER THREATENS TO UPLOAD VIDEO FOOTAGE (USING COPY , CUT & PASTE ) TO EXTORT $5,000 IF I DO NOT COMPLY WITH HER INSTRUCTIONS .
A purportedly Korean lass using the FB username of Grace Ryun Ji requested to befriend me , like any other volunteer/potential volunteer in our soup kitchen. Without hesitation , I accepted her as friend and she started sending messages to me since early June . I answered some of her inquiries and last evening she message me a few times and I invited her to our kitchen to help . In the course of our communication she migrated to a topic that made me felt uncomfortable.
She then told me that I have a Skype account which she wanted to show me how to view some of our video uploads where she claimed to have appeared in when she volunteered with us.
I was curious to find out who she is so she guided me to log in to this account that she set up under my name!
I became suspicious and cautious when she commenced using words like 'Honey,I am alone , bored, Horny & more lewd language ' to lead me on . I was keen to find out her motive and played along , in the end she did not identify herself in one of my video footages that she uploaded in Skype to show me ( I upload photos & videos everyday for our volunteers to keep track of daily activities in the kitchen ) . When I told her that I have to be up early next morning at the kitchen , she insisted she has another video gift for me , to my surprise , it a blurry short footage showing my face & lower body which is quite blur . It's like a poorly joint video that we often see on TV of foreign politicians that were accused of sex scandals . She then sent me a whole list of my friends/relatives' names with their FB /some with email addresses to threaten me .
I asked her what she is up to? Her reply was, " I'm sure you don't want your friends & relatives to see this video gift , in order to remove/delete from her computer I must deposit $5000 into her grandfather's account through Western Union Bank in the Philippines by 10am or the video will go viral . Whilst continuing my conversation with her on Skype, I went to Marine Parade NPP to seek help . Statements have been recorded and a police report has been lodged. The police was shown all the correspondence she was still having with me on line and it is now left to them for further actions.
It is a lesson to learn from this episode and I wish to alert all friends & volunteers that there are still scammers everywhere hoping for a quick buck. If you come across one just go to the police or there will be no end to paying.