High school girls make up 41 percent of blackmail victims in Saudi Arabia, the head of the commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has said.
“The overwhelming majority of those who are targeted in blackmail cases are aged between 16 and 30,” Shaikh Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al Sanad said.
“In fact, they represent 85 percent of all cases. We reiterate our warning against illicit relationships and the need to be extra vigilant when dealing with sites that seemingly promote marriages and employment opportunities. Users must avoid sending personal details that could be used against them,” he said in remarks published by Saudi news site Al Marsad on Monday.
According to the figures compiled by the anti-blackmail unit with the Commission, 74 percent of the cases involve people seeking sex while 14 percent involve extortion.
“Fortunately, in around 99 percent of the cases, the blackmailer does not get what he or she asks,” he said.
Both men and women are involved in the attempts to manipulate victims, Al Sanad added.
In 57 percent of the cases, social media applications were used by blackmailers to try to force their victims to provide sexual favors or to extort cash from them.
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This article has been adapted from its original source.
