Five suspects arrested over online blackmail scheme

AMMAN — The Public Security Department’s (PSD) Anti-Cybercrime Unit on Monday said it arrested five suspects on charges of blackmailing citizens using the Internet.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the PSD said the unit received a complaint from a citizen saying he was sent e-mails by anonymous people asking him to pay them money or else they will publish a video of him with a girl.

The PSD said that the citizen transferred JD10,000 to one of them, but the suspects continued their threats and demanded JD200,000. By analysing the threat e-mails, the Anti-Cybercrime Unit managed to identify the five suspects and arrested them. The suspects then confessed to committing the crime, the PSD said.