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Two individuals in Shandong Province, East China, have been sentenced for attempting to extort money by digitally fabricating explicit images of corporate executives, local authorities reported.
The pair, identified as Zhu and Feng, created doctored images by placing the faces of prominent executives onto explicit photos. They then sent threatening letters containing these images to 212 executives nationwide, demanding payment in exchange for not releasing the fabricated material.
Zhu, described as unemployed and facing financial difficulties, initiated the illegal scheme in May 2023 and enlisted Feng to assist in carrying out the plan. Despite their efforts, the duo failed to obtain any payments from their targets.
One of the recipients, identified as Zhang, recognized the image as a fake and knew it could not be real. Suspecting extortion, Zhang promptly reported the incident to the authorities.
Police acted swiftly, apprehending Zhu and Feng. During the investigation, the two confessed to their crimes. Although they did not receive any money, their actions were classified as attempted extortion, as their failure to collect payments was attributed to external factors, not a lack of intent.
Source: Global Times
