The Bizarre Blackmail Saga That Left a 27‑Year‑Old in Jail
Picture this: a guy obsessed with a spreadsheet, a “hard‑disk hidden trove” of private videos, and a plan so convoluted that a district judge dubbed it an elaborate ploy. That’s the pulse of the latest drama in Singapore’s court docket.
The Setup
- V1, a 28‑year‑old boyfriend, stumbles upon a hard disk at his home. Inside? Intimate footage of himself, his ex‑girlfriend (V2, 27), and a handful of other women.
- V3, a 26‑year‑old former girlfriend of V1, had found the disk back in December 2017 and feared V1 could weaponize the videos.
- Instead of doing the sensible thing—handing the disk over to the police—V1’s former boyfriend (the 27‑year‑old man) decided to blackmail him.
The Mysterious “CPIB Officer” Act
In a twist straight out of a thriller, the defendant claimed to be a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) official. He reached out to V2, accusing her of leaking confidential client data. V2 caught on, filed a police report, and the jig was up. But the game was just warming up.
The Three Aliases
On February 19–20, 2018, the accused texted V1 under three distinct identities: “Fred,” “Ann,” and finally pretending to be “Fred again.” The story went something like this:
- Fred: Told V1 that his wife, Ann, had acquired the hard disk. He insinuated that Ann was planning to go to the police.
- Ann: Continued the ruse, claiming he was a CPIB officer offering help.
- He spun a narrative that the disk contained not only sex videos but also damning corporate secrets.
As the plot thickened, he asked V1 for $5,000 to buy a Hermes bag for Ann— supposedly to “convince her not to report the disk.” When V1 balked, refusing cash but offering a Panerai watch worth $6,000, the man demanded an additional $1,000 in cash to “transfer the disk” to him.
The Verdict
On the night of February 20, the DPRA proved a setup and V1 turned the police who arrested the suspect. In court, the man was condemned for:
- Criminal intimidation – blackmailing V1.
- Impersonation of a CPIB officer – fraudulently posing as law enforcement.
- Additionally, he was fined $10,000 for running an illegal poker game on Facebook— an entirely unrelated misdemeanour.
He got a 16‑week jail sentence and must report on January 28. His bail stands at $20,000.
Defence’s Battlecry
Adrian Wee, the defence counsel, claimed the client was “driven by a misguided desire to redress perceived injustices inflicted upon V3.” He pleaded for a less severe sentence, noting that the accused might lose his recruitment job and needed support to hand over the disk post‑release.
Why This is More Than Just Blackmail
At first glance, it looks like a simple extortion case: a hard disk, vi-solic videos, and a plea for money. The twist? The perpetrator’s elaborate charade—three fake identities, threatening suspects, and a bogus CPIB impersonation—reminds us that crime isn’t just about fingerprints; it’s a game of cat and mouse. And the courtroom outcome suggests that the legal system will not indulge in this kind of cliches.
Takeaway
- Don’t play with hard disks containing intimate footage. They’re 21st‑century tinder‑fights—use them responsibly.
- If you suspect blackmail, report right away. Police are quick on the scene.
- And if you’re an “impostor” masquerading as a CPIB officer, you might find yourself in more jail than just a 16‑week sentence.
It goes to show that, in this world, a joke about days of “blackmail” can quickly become a literal sentence.
This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.
