Perugia, the spicy chat with the new “friend” costs him three months’ salary

PERUGIA – A friend request. Or an addition, to put it like the younger ones who use social media. The curiosity to see the profile, a few messages to gain confidence and off you go with the game of knowledge and seduction. Typical of an era in which relationships now often begin with an “addition” and end with a “ban” on social media. When it’s good. Because now you can even end up without money.

Giorgio, a fictional name, is a 24-year-old from Perugia who suddenly became a victim of the criminal part of this mechanism. The boy, an employee of a city company, came into contact with a girl a few months ago. «I received the notification that she was following me on social media – she says – she, in short, that she had added me. I look at the profile and think: well, not bad. I’ll send you a message.” A coming forward to which the young woman responds shortly after. Thus begins an exchange of jokes and compliments which quickly leads to the possibility of a spicy encounter. Not live, but through a video call on a private Telegram chat to which he is directed. The excitement, however, is destined to be short-lived. Just long enough to have the photos sent back in which his face and private parts are clearly visible. All accompanied by a message saying that those compromising images (frames taken during the red light chat) will be sent to his company and also to family and friends. «The world collapsed around me – recalls Giorgio – and the only thing I felt I had to do was pay, following the instructions I had been given, the initial 1000 euros that were requested of me. I thought it was over, but instead…”
Instead, shortly after the girl, or the gang that manages these profiles, shows up again: another thousand euros. «I have a good salary and I’m single – says the boy – I immediately thought about paying more. However, my hopes collapsed when, a few weeks later, I received a request for another 2,500 euros from that damned profile. However, the threats to make these photos known made the difference once again, and I found myself paying again. In practice, almost all of three months’ salary went up in smoke. But the fear of being shamed was stronger.”
The situation reached a turning point a few weeks ago, when Giorgio reacted to yet another request for money as “I probably should have done right away: reporting everything to the police”. That complaint magically put an end to the demands for money. And if it won’t be easy to get back the over four thousand euros paid, the feeling of being free from the yoke is priceless. Of course, there is no mathematical certainty that no one will come back, but it is clear that reporting these extortions of which you are a victim is the only way to get rid of these online tormentors.
«Despite the fear of making a fool of myself, for me in the end making my story known is not particularly serious – concludes Giorgio -. But I think of those who have families, children, the fear of being shamed for a moment of weakness must be something terrifying.”
And in fact this is precisely the secret of the success of criminals specializing in sextortion, i.e. sexual extortion on social media. And if until some time ago the phenomenon stopped at the drift of some ex who does not accept abandonment or some “over” not very internet expert, now it increasingly concerns an age group between 20 and 30 years, with peaks even among teenagers. With a flood of people who pay as long as they can as long as nothing is known.

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