Italian police investigate use of Skype for webcam blackmail

Italian police in Genoa are reportedly investigating into complaints by victims of blackmail who have alleged that perpetrators were using Skype to trap people into online sexual indiscretions and extort money from them.

The perpetrators have been luring people into indulging in sexual acts online and record their videos, using them to blackmail the unsuspecting victims.

According to PC World, the Genoa case involved four attractive young women who allegedly struck up online friendships using social media, and then enticed their victims into increasingly explicit sexual behavior to be recorded by webcam on Skype.

Alessandra Belardini, a deputy police chief with the postal and communications police, said that scammers seek to obtain the list of their victims' Facebook friends and then threaten to send the embarrassing videos to them unless they are paid.

The deputy police chief said that the scammers normally asked for 500 Euros from their victims.

Meanwhile, a total of 11 cases are being investigated by the Magistrates in the northwestern port city of Genoa.