THE National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division arrested two suspects who extorted more than half a million pesos during two separate operations in Mandaluyong and Malate, the agency said on Wednesday.
Arrested by the NBI-CCD agents were suspects Michael Gonzales and Pearl Ruby Gonzales, the former’s adopted sister. Michael is the leader of the online robbery-extortion group.
The NBI said, sometime in July 2016, Michael, using a false identity on the internet, befriended the victim, Paul N. Beattie, an Australian.
After a video chat conversation between them, Michael took a photo of the victim from the video chat and edited the photo with child pornography.
It then appeared that the victim was watching child pornography. Thereafter, Michael threatened the victim through email that if the victim would not send money, the suspect would release the edited pictures on the internet, thereby branding the victim as a pedophile.
Out of fear, the victim sent money to a bank account in the name of Pearl Ruby F. Gonzales. The victim sent money to the same account several times out of fear.
By the time that the victim filed a formal complaint with the NBI in late September 2016, Michael had already extorted over P600,000 from him.