New crimes are emerging, taking place in cyberspace and elsewhere, most notably “cyber blackmail.” This phenomenon has become a hidden specter threatening individuals’ privacy and psychological well-being. It is a growing, transnational crime and phenomenon that exploits fear and casts a shadow over the lives of victims. Here, the most difficult question arises.
How do we confront this challenge? What is the correct roadmap for dealing with this crisis? How does Syrian law punish it?
One of the fraudulent girls commented on the profile of lawyer A.W. After seeing her comment and liking the seductive photos in her profile, he began a conversation with her. This conversation then culminated in her promising to create an account for him to make quick money through popular apps. However, in exchange for his transferring $200 to her, she refused to respond and subsequently blocked him, revealing that he had been the victim of a scam.
In the second case, a girl was subjected to blackmail after someone obtained private conversations and intimate photos she shared with him. He then threatened to make them public unless she met his demands, causing her psychological trauma and constant fear of scandal.
Alhurriyah newspaper met with social media expert Muhammad Habash, who revealed that practical advice is first and foremost to immediately cease contact with the blackmailer, as every dialogue or negotiation strengthens their control. All evidence should be carefully preserved, including screenshots, phone numbers, links, and even voice threats, all of which constitute crucial evidence. Most social media platforms provide sections for reporting blackmail in Syria. You can also report directly to the Cybercrime Prevention Branch. It is also important to change all your passwords, especially if the blackmail was carried out through hacking your personal accounts.
Habash adds: “On the psychological level, blackmail relies on inflating fear. Avoid being harsh on yourself or feeling guilty. Remember that you are a victim, not at fault. Tell a trusted person to seek family support to overcome the crisis, and then seek help from psychological helplines in Syria, as there are organizations and non-governmental organizations that provide specialized support to victims.”
Regarding the role of family and friends, Habash advises listening without judging the victim, such as phrases like “Why didn’t you notice?” and replacing them with “We are with you, it’s not your fault.” He also advises not acting on behalf of the victim without their consent, publishing details, or confronting the blackmailer without their permission, so they don’t feel a loss of control.
Social support is a protective shield against blackmail, as confronting blackmail isn’t limited to the victim alone; the support surrounding them also provides a protective shield for the victim.
Regarding the culture of “blaming the victim,” he explains that some platforms ask victims to prove their refusal to share private content, which increases the psychological trauma.
Schools, universities, and associations play a prominent role, according to Habash, in providing confidential and reliable support by establishing psychological and legal helplines to avoid embarrassing the victim. Awareness workshops can also be organized, free from intimidation, presenting blackmail as a “crime” rather than a “shame.” They can also share success stories of victims who have overcome the crisis, and collaborate with specialists, including psychologists and cyber police, to provide specialized advice.
Habash believes that social media platforms are the primary arena where blackmail crimes are committed. Despite the significant improvement in their efforts to combat this phenomenon, the effectiveness of their procedures still faces significant challenges due to the evolution of blackmailers’ methods.
Habash also added that platforms are now using smart reporting systems to detect extortionist content. For example, Twitter automatically deletes 38% of infringing content, and Instagram detects 90% of phishing accounts before they are reported. This requires swift protection measures, such as Facebook’s “quick reporting” feature and the ability to block users and prevent them from creating new accounts using device fingerprints.
Cooperation with authorities is also possible, with platforms providing suspect data to law enforcement upon official request. In 2022, Meta submitted data on 48,000 cases to the Cybercrime Reporting Center in the United States.
According to Habash, there are serious loopholes. The problem is sometimes slow response times, as 20% of extortion cases are not resolved until 72 hours later, a period sufficient for threats to be carried out.
He added: There are also challenges to encrypting services like WhatsApp and Telegram, as end-to-end encryption makes it difficult to track conversations, which extortionists exploit. Here, Habash notes that the reason is a lack of awareness. According to a Pew Research survey, 60% of users (especially older adults) do not know how to use reporting tools.
To improve effectiveness, Habash believes, one way to do this is to leverage artificial intelligence, which works to develop algorithms that detect context, not just keywords (such as implicit threats). Additionally, there should be direct links to psychological helplines when reporting extortion. This can also be achieved through cross-border collaboration and faster international coordination between platforms and judicial authorities, especially in developing countries.
Proactive awareness-raising efforts include sending periodic alerts to users about the signs of extortion (as Snapchat does with privacy warnings), adding direct links to psychological helplines when reporting extortion, thus providing integrated support. This can also be achieved through faster international coordination between platforms and judicial authorities, which can be cross-border. Proactive awareness-raising efforts include sending periodic alerts to users about the signs of extortion.
With the rapid development of technology, Habash warns of new forms ofBlackmail may become more sophisticated and dangerous. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the first to use sophisticated deepfake audio and visual manipulation to create fake videos or calls, and intelligent chatbots that mimic real people to deceive victims. Another form of blackmail is advanced social engineering, which exploits biometric data from smart devices to analyze behavior and psychologically manipulate victims in moments of vulnerability.
The latest form of blackmail is the metaverse, where blackmail may appear in virtual reality through identity theft or threats within games and virtual platforms. Regarding the Syrian legal view on cyber blackmail, lawyer Moatasem Al-Masry explained that blackmail occurs through threats and intimidation of the victim by publishing photos or video footage, or leaking confidential information about them, in exchange for payment of sums of money or exploiting the victim to carry out illegal acts for the blackmailer.
He noted that the goals of this type of blackmail, particularly against women, vary, including financial motives, the pursuit of illicit relationships, and may extend beyond that to the exploitation of the victim by the blackmailer and their friends under the threat of scandal. Syrian law has not stood idly by in the face of this growing crime, as Al-Masry explained. Article 636 of the Penal Code criminalizes anyone who “threatens a person by exposing, disclosing, or reporting a matter that would undermine the person’s standing or honor, or the standing or honor of one of his relatives, in order to compel him to bring an illicit benefit to himself or to another.”
This crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to two years and a fine of up to five hundred Syrian pounds. Al-Masry explained that this penalty has been significantly increased by Legislative Decree No. 20 of 2022, known as the “Law on Online Communication and Combating Cybercrime.” Article 33 of the aforementioned law stipulates that the penalty shall be increased in accordance with the provisions of Article 247 of the Penal Code if any crime is committed using information technology.
Article 26 of the Cybercrime Law also sets out strict penalties for publishing or threatening to publish indecent material, punishable by imprisonment for two to three years and a fine ranging from 3 to 4 million Syrian pounds. The penalty is increased to temporary imprisonment for five to seven years and a fine of 4 to 5 million Syrian pounds if the crime is committed against a minor.
Al-Masry noted that blackmail is based on two elements: the material element, which consists of the tangible actions carried out by the blackmailer, such as sending threatening messages via email or social media applications. The moral element, which refers to criminal intent, requires the perpetrator to be fully aware that they are committing an illegal act to achieve an illegitimate personal gain, such as an explicit or implicit threat to harm the victim to achieve illicit gains. The element also includes the presence of an electronic means to carry out the blackmail, the intent to harm the victim, the presence of the victim as a party harmed by the crime, and the potential for harm, whether moral or material.
Legally, to prove the victim of blackmail, according to Al-Masry’s opinion, the victim must follow several steps. First, document the messages and communications by saving all messages, photos, and videos used by the blackmailer to threaten; go directly to the Public Prosecution Office immediately after the blackmail, to file an official report that will be referred to the security department responsible for combating cybercrimes; enlist the help of technical experts and investigators to analyze electronic data and use digital forensics techniques to track the source of the threat; provide witnesses; and provide digital evidence, such as account records, IP addresses, and mobile phone records, that proves the identity of the perpetrator.
To address these challenges, Habash presents multi-layered strategies for individuals, including protecting vital data; constantly questioning digital content (especially video and audio); educating the elderly and children on social engineering tests; and for technical institutions to develop “defensive” artificial intelligence to detect fake content in real time; and using a trusted digital identity. Governments must draft cross-border legislation, establish 24/7 rapid response centers, and launch comprehensive national awareness campaigns.
According to Habash, the basic precautions that must be completely avoided to ensure the victim’s safety include not concealing the matter to protect the victim’s reputation, giving moral lectures that push the victim into isolation, and exaggerating pathological sympathy through negative expressions. Instead, these expressions should be replaced with positive messages that foster hope, he believes.
Habash concluded: “Cyber-extortion poses a complex challenge that requires collective awareness and a rapid and integrated response. Through immediate practical and psychological steps, effective community support, developing platform mechanisms and legislation, and preparing for future challenges, we can build a strong front to confront this digital specter, protect individuals from falling into its clutches, and ensure a safer digital environment for all.”
By Elham Othman, Alhurriyah, Syria Journal