Portuguese PJ police have arrested seven people accused of running a large-scale “sextortion” scheme that targeted victims through social media.
In an operation called ‘Eleutherios’, the criminal police force carried out 14 raids this Tuesday morning across Albufeira, Almada, Aveiro, Moita, Montijo, Setúbal, and Sintra, leading to the confiscation of computers, banking documents, and other evidence linked to the case.
The suspects – five men and two women aged between 20 and 46 – are accused of luring victims on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp by using fake identities. Once contact was made, they convinced the victims to share intimate or sexual images.
Police say the group then threatened to release these private images unless the victims paid large sums of money. This blackmail scheme, which PJ has been investigating since February, is estimated to have made the suspects hundreds of thousands of euros.
According to the PJ, most of those arrested relied on this illegal activity as their main source of income. They now face charges of aggravated extortion and money laundering.
The suspects will appear before judicial authorities for questioning and potential pre-trial measures. Investigators are still working to uncover how many people were targeted by the scheme.
Authorities have also issued a warning to the public to avoid sharing intimate content online and be cautious when using webcams, as criminals often exploit these situations to humiliate or extort their victims.
