# Ew. Blackmailing girls using a web cam. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 21, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874 "2010-04-21T16:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/1 "2010-04-21T16:49:30Z")
I came across a post on another forum I visit warning parents not to let their teenagers use webcams in random chat rooms because of the risk of “blackmail”. Apparently it’s sort of a favorite activity among certain groups online. The perv will get a girl to flash the cam(tinychat?) or somehow obtain nude pics/vids and then use the threat of sending that footage to her friend’s/family’s Facebook or Myspace pages to get her to do degrading things(sometimes coercing them into messing around with dogs and other sick shit:eek:). The perv records it all and then posts THAT to interested message boards and maybe even follow through on the threat. I’m not very internet savvy, but that seems sort of far fetched to me. I guess I could see a young person being coerced into these things because of the fear of being humiliated in front of friends and family, but the post made it seem like there are internet forums dedicated to this sort of thing. The post was deleted by a mod so maybe it was a sick joke? Couldn’t these sickos be charged with something? It would seem to me it would technically fall under child pornography laws since a lot of the girls are apparently minors. Sometimes I think I’m too old for the internet…some of it baffles me. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/2 "2010-04-21T16:57:43Z")
It happens, sure. About a year ago, a guy who was 18 at the time was charged with blackmailing teen guys into sex acts; he was [recently sentenced to 15 years](http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/02/teen-gets-15-years-for-sex-extortion/) for solicitation of sex from minors, possessing child porn, and a bomb threat (which didn’t seem related). He made a fake profile on Facebook of a teen girl and used that to get naked pictures, then used those pics to blackmail them for more and for sex. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/3 "2010-04-21T16:58:50Z")
My plan’s been revealed! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/4 "2010-04-21T17:09:06Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > My plan’s been revealed! A sick fucking plan that is disgusting, illegal, and will lead to 15 years in prison (see above), but hey, thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/5 "2010-04-21T17:11:35Z")
Um, I’d rather my friends see a picture of my tits than to mess around with a dog. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good blackmail target. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/6 "2010-04-21T17:12:14Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > A sick fucking plan that is disgusting, illegal, and will lead to 15 years in prison (see above), but hey, thanks for sharing. Will he get conjugal web cams in prison? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/7 "2010-04-21T17:13:01Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > A sick fucking plan that is disgusting, illegal, and will lead to 15 years in prison (see above), but hey, thanks for sharing. You’re just the life of the party. > [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Will he get conjugal web cams in prison? Hopefully! ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/8 "2010-04-21T17:14:07Z")
\Speaking of Internet crime, I just had the chance to watch this documentary [**Talhotblond**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1370889/). Absolutely mind-blowing, especially taking into account that it’s all factual. Highly recommended. I’d suggest not reading about the case beforehand if you do decide to watch it. \ ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/9 "2010-04-21T17:15:25Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > A sick fucking plan that is disgusting, illegal, and will lead to 15 years in prison (see above), but hey, thanks for sharing. Plz post ur nadz. Kthxbi! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/10 "2010-04-21T17:15:29Z")
Damn. All this time I’ve been trying to blackmail them with \*my \*webcam… ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/11 "2010-04-21T17:17:01Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > A sick fucking plan that is disgusting, illegal, and will lead to 15 years in prison (see above), but hey, thanks for sharing. Learn to take a joke, idiot. pdts ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/12 "2010-04-21T17:19:58Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Um, I’d rather my friends see a picture of my tits than to mess around with a dog. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good blackmail target. But wouldn’t it be the end of the world if your friends saw you naked? Some people are really stupid. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/13 "2010-04-21T17:21:34Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > My plan’s been revealed! Your posts really crack me up. You have a real knack for bad timing:D ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/14 "2010-04-21T17:22:50Z")
This kind of thing happens all the time. The [4chan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan)\* image board is rather well known for it. They will usually stalk various webcam chat services in groups (Blogtv for example) in search of gullible teenage girls. Once a suitable person is found, they are invited to a [tinychat](http://tinychat.com/) room. They do this because these rooms are not moderated and allow webcam chat, so the girl in question is free to do whatever they want. Once they find out their name and where they’re from it’s usually a very simple task of finding their Facebook, since Google kindly links you to that kind of thing (and if you haven’t set privacy options on Facebook, there’s a big fat picture of you right there for all to see). They certainly can be charged with blackmailing etc, and that does happen. But the internet is a tricky thing to moderate properly and those who are doing this make every effort to remain absolutely anonymous (in fact, [Anonymous](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group)) is what they are collectively known as). I have made efforts to report this kind of thing, but it’s usually to no avail. Police don’t seem to have the resources/training/know how to actively pursue online criminals like this. They’d probably have to get on the inside somehow. \*Don’t worry, it’s a link to the wikipedia page. I advise against going to the actual site. But that’s probably like telling you not to press that big red button, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/15 "2010-04-21T17:27:05Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Um, I’d rather my friends see a picture of my tits than to mess around with a dog. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good blackmail target. My email is in my profile, Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/16 "2010-04-21T17:29:16Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > Learn to take a joke, idiot. > > pdts Oh, I get it now! It’s funny because of… er… Because blackmail is funny. And it involves underage girls. And shit. Fuck, I’m slapping my thighs at the incredible wit now. Oscar Wilde must be rolling in his grave! > [@](#): > > Plz post ur nadz. Kthxbi! (this, on the other hand, was funny.) ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/17 "2010-04-21T17:30:17Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > But wouldn’t it be the end of the world if your friends saw you naked? > > Some people are really stupid. :smack: It isn’t just the fact that they’re naked, it’s that people will know they were stupid enough to actually remove their clothes for complete strangers on the internet. That’s the embarrassing part of it. Most parents would probably never let their kids go on the internet ever again if they found out. There goes Facebook and msn messenger! ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/18 "2010-04-21T17:34:47Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Damn. All this time I’ve been trying to blackmail them with \*my \*webcam… ‘Do as I say right this minute, or I’ll… I’ll take my clothes off at you!’ ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/19 "2010-04-21T17:38:42Z")
If I still had a teenage daughter (my only daughter is now a high-school teacher), I’d tell her: (1) Don’t flash your tits to random strangers in internet chat sites. (2) If you’ve been stupid enough to do it, it’s still not the end of the world. Don’t let them use such pictures to blackmail you into doing something worse. In other words, when you find yourself in a hole (metaphorically), stop digging. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874/20 "2010-04-21T17:43:01Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > If I still had a teenage daughter (my only daughter is now a high-school teacher), I’d tell her: > > (1) Don’t flash your tits to random strangers in internet chat sites. Save it for Mardi Gras. Beads an dat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ew-blackmailing-girls-using-a-web-cam/536874.md?page=2)