Blackmailers tried to force an Armagh man to hand over money after he agreed to strip off online.
The man, whose identity is not being made public, has spoken out in a bid to warn others against falling into the same trap.
It was a similar ruse which was used last year that led to 17-year-old County Tyrone student Ronan Hughes taking his own life.
The Armagh man has spoken to the Belfast Telegraph of his experience, saying he had taken the only option left to himself – confessing to his wife.
The 42-year-old admitted to accepting a Facebook friend request from someone whom he did not know.
Within minutes he was contacted via video message by a female who proceeded to strip and then encouraged him to do likewise.
The man admitted to having been foolish in following through with the request.
A criminal gang operating in the Ivory Coast then ordered him to hand over $4000 – the equivalent of about £2,700 sterling – or they would send the nude pics to all contacts in his Facebook friends list.
The man told them he was out of work and did not have the money. This did not sway the blackmailers who then proceded to post the pictures online and tried to send them to the man’s friends including his own son and brother.
He hopes his story will be a lesson to others and admits to being stupid by being taken in.
“When I told my wife she blew up. I don’t blame her, I feel stupid. But she doesn’t want any of her family knowing about it,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“I just wanted to warn other people. I took the only way to get out of it, which was to confess.”
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