SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Five Cabinet ministers were among more than 100 government recipients of e-mails demanding payment over doctored images.
In these images, victims’ faces are superimposed onto videos of individuals in compromising situations.
In a release on Nov 28, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said 12 male political office holders were affected, in addition to public officers.
The five Cabinet ministers are:
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat
Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong
National Development Minister Desmond Lee
Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli
Minister in Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman
The e-mails demanded 50,000 USDT, a digital currency, in return for not releasing the visuals.
In a separate statement earlier in the day, the Ministry of Health said staff from public healthcare institutions have been receiving such e-mails. The ministry was alerted to these e-mails on Nov 26.
The affected agencies have made police reports, and no money has been reported lost so far.
Members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council also received similar e-mails on Nov 23, said MDDI.
MOH said that it “condemns this malicious act against our healthcare workers and their families.”
“The criminals’ tactics are despicable,” Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said on Facebook on Nov 28.
On Nov 27, the police said they received more than 20 reports of such cases from the public in late November.
Those who have received such threats are advised to report them and hand over the e-mails to the police. – The Straits Times/ANN
