Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, of Indian descent, receives extortion letter with fake obscene images.

MP Balakrishnan reported on Facebook that he and several other MPs had received threatening letters containing a “fake distasteful image accompanied by a threat”. Balakrishnan condemned the conduct as deplorable and against societal values and practices. He stated that police reports have been filed and appropriate legal action will be taken.

The police confirmed that the letters, sent by post to the victims’ workplaces, contained pictures of the victims’ faces superimposed onto obscene images of a man and a woman in an “intimate and compromising position”. Over 70 police reports about similar extortion letters have been filed since March, according to a report by Channel News Asia. The letters included warnings of “threatening consequences” unless the recipients contacted the provided email address.

If contacted, the victims would be asked to transfer money to prevent the leakage and exposure of compromising photographs and videos on social media. Balakrishnan emphasized the need for a collective stand against such conduct in the age of deep fakes and scams. He expressed concern about the rise of deepfakes, which make it harder to discern reality from fiction, and urged unity in combating fraudulent acts.

He advised recipients to report the matter to the police immediately and to store the letter in a separate bag for handover. The Channel report indicated that investigations are ongoing. *(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.

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