Shanghai police clamp down on 'naked chat scammers'

Shanghai authorities have intensified their crackdown on new types of crimes committed through the internet, including illegal loans and money laundering, and had arrested over 420 suspects over the past months, local police announced on Sept 20.

During the 100-day campaign against such crimes, over 330 people suspected of luring others to send nude photos of themselves or take off their clothes during video chats with the intent of blackmail were arrested.

At the beginning of April, a case involving over 1.4 million yuan was reported to the police in Hongkou district. The police later identified 18 suspects after investigating the transaction records and threatening messages the victim had received. According to one of the suspects, "naked chat scammers" leverage victims' contact lists and nude photos to perform the blackmail.

The police revealed that illegal chat software is responsible for the leak of contact lists and photos.