It started with one person deciding enough was enough. A victim walked into a Sharjah Police station and filed a complaint about stolen photos and threats. Nobody at that moment knew the case would unravel into a cybercrime network spanning 14 countries.
That single report is now at the centre of one of the more unsettling online scams to come out of the Gulf this year. It’s a reminder worth reading closely if you ever download a trendy filter app or chase a blue tick online – something many people in Kuwait do too, as we’ve covered in our earlier report on an online shopping scam that cost a Kuwait shopper KD 200.
- Sharjah Police dismantled a gang that allegedly used malicious photo filters to steal private images and data.
- The gang then blackmailed victims, mostly women, demanding ransom to stop their photos being leaked.
- It also offered fake “account protection” services to the same victims it had targeted.
- The case began with one complaint and grew into an investigation across 14 countries.
How the trap worked
Lieutenant Colonel Saqr Ahmed, head of the Digital Crimes Section at Sharjah Police, explained the scheme during the Al Shurti programme on Sharjah TV. He said the gang ran what looked like a normal online business. It claimed to offer social media verification badges, extra followers and account security services. To look credible, it even positioned its brand near official state-level institutions.
Behind that front, the gang allegedly used compromised photo filters – the kind found in common photo editing and sharing apps. When a user typed in personal details or took a picture through one of these filters, their private data and images were sent straight to the gang’s servers. The user never knew it happened.
Once the gang had the material, it moved to the next stage. Victims began getting threatening calls from foreign numbers, demanding payment to stop their private images being published. Women were among the most targeted, Lt Col Saqr said.
The second trap: fake
📌 Related stories
Latest News
International
Why Trump says the Iran war isn’t over yet
2 Local Step by Step Guide – Renewing car registration in Kuwait online Read more → 3 How to Make 100 KWD a Day on Social Media in Kuwait (Step by step Guide 2026) Read more → 4 Local Kuwait traffic department: skip the paper registration booklet Read more → 5 Local Body found in Mahboula ground, two stab wounds reported Read more → 6 Local Court gives 10-year term over child assault at school Read more → 7 Why Are the Houthis Attacking Saudi Arabia? Read more → 8 International US military chief gives Trump new Iran strike plans Read more → 9 International US nuclear drill end this week: what Global Thunder 27 means Read more → 10 Local Video – Kuwait police sweep Jahra areas, arrest wanted suspect Read more → 11 Local Court gives 10-year term in indian child assault case Read more → 12 Local Kuwait traffic police step up checks on delivery bikes and cycle riders. Read more → 13 International Video – She lost bracelet found after four-day search Read more → 14 Local Diwali Holiday for Indians in Kuwait Read more → 15 International Two Britons charged over Iran plot to hit RAF Fairford airbase Read more →
Leave a Reply