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South Carolina Inmates Created a 'Sextortion Ring' to Bilk $560,000 From U.S. Troops
Time ^ | 11/ 28/ 2018 | W.J. HENNIGAN

Posted on 11/29/2018 6:36:07 AM PST by Gamecock

While serving time in a South Carolina prison, several inmates created an elaborate online “sextortion ring” that preyed on hundreds of U.S. servicemembers and manipulated them into sending money and nude photos of themselves, according to federal prosecutors.

In five separate indictments, prosecutors allege that the male prisoners used contraband cellphones to extort members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps through online dating websites by posing as young women. The online scheme bamboozled 442 troops out of more than $560,000, prosecutors say.

The prisoners developed fake personas as 18 or 19 year-old women on social media forums and online dating websites. They would then try to pursue online romantic relationships with U.S. servicemembers.

After developing the “relationship” on the websites, the prisoners began texting nude photographs of young women that they were impersonating. In fact, the photos were simply obtained from the Internet.

Once they texted the pictures, the prisoners asked the military members for nude photos or other personal information in return. When the solider responded with their nude photos, the prisoners would then assume a role of the woman’s father, who claimed his daughter was a juvenile. He would demand money, on behalf of the family, in exchange for not pursuing criminal charges.

Fearful that they might lose their military careers over possessing what they assumed was child pornography, the soldier would wire money through Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal or Walmart.

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: southcarolina
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1 posted on 11/29/2018 6:36:07 AM PST by Gamecock
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Rule for stress free living: Don’t send pictures of your junk to people on the web.


2 posted on 11/29/2018 6:36:50 AM PST by Gamecock (In church today, we so often find we meet only the same old world, not Christ and His Kingdom. AS)
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To: Gamecock

Stupid criminal tricks.

Oh wait.....


3 posted on 11/29/2018 6:37:14 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Gamecock

The service personnel caught up in this should all be discharged. Every single one is a security threat.


4 posted on 11/29/2018 6:38:14 AM PST by mewzilla (Is Central America emptying its prisons?)
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To: Gamecock

The stench of Obotulism is in this.


5 posted on 11/29/2018 6:43:51 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of today be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: BenLurkin

Military Intelligence


6 posted on 11/29/2018 6:51:32 AM PST by babble-on
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To: Gamecock

I don’t even want to think about how cell phones are getting into the prisons.

I’m embarrassed to hear that this is happening in South Carolina. I would have thought this would be something from a liberal state.


7 posted on 11/29/2018 6:57:13 AM PST by Perseverando (For Progressives, Islamonazis, Statists, Commies & other Democrats: It's all about PEOPLE CONTROL!)
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To: Perseverando

Easy. Employees bring them


8 posted on 11/29/2018 7:04:10 AM PST by morphing libertarian (Use Comey's Report; Indict Hillary now. --- Proud Smelly Walmart Deplorable)
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To: Perseverando

The majority of the contraband that is brought into jails and prisons is concealed within the inmate’s rectum.

Generally, the criminals know that when they are going to their sentencing hearing, they hide drugs and cell phones, and sometimes sharp implements in their rectums.

There are not enough x-ray machines in the intake areas, plus most government agencies won’t purchase them.


9 posted on 11/29/2018 7:09:40 AM PST by Glennb51
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To: mewzilla

I have a friend who is in the NG and had been deployed to Iraq. She has junk pictures of every man in her unit....because they sent them to her.


10 posted on 11/29/2018 7:12:20 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?)
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To: AppyPappy

If she’d submit to blackmail because of that, to my mind she’s a security risk. Ditto for the degenerates who sent the pics.


11 posted on 11/29/2018 7:15:53 AM PST by mewzilla (Is Central America emptying its prisons?)
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To: Gamecock

Allowing prisoners internet access is sheer lunacy.


12 posted on 11/29/2018 7:16:10 AM PST by VietVet876
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To: mewzilla

Let’s just say you would have to clear out the military. This is a thing with people today. It’s very common.


13 posted on 11/29/2018 7:22:25 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?)
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To: AppyPappy

Nobody got bounced or big time punishment over those?


14 posted on 11/29/2018 7:34:00 AM PST by wally_bert (I will competently make sure the thing is done incompetently.)
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To: wally_bert

She never reported it. It would be crazy to do so.


15 posted on 11/29/2018 7:35:50 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?)
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To: Gamecock

These cretins have dug up the scam perfected by Kirksey Nix at Angola 30 plus years ago

Which resulted in the murder of a judge and his wife in Biloxi


16 posted on 11/29/2018 7:39:36 AM PST by wardaddy (I don’t care that you’re not a racist......when the shooting starts it won’t matter what yo)
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To: AppyPappy

Very crazy indeed.


17 posted on 11/29/2018 7:39:42 AM PST by wally_bert (I will competently make sure the thing is done incompetently.)
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To: VietVet876

Did you read the article?


18 posted on 11/29/2018 7:54:35 AM PST by Gamecock (In church today, we so often find we meet only the same old world, not Christ and His Kingdom. AS)
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To: upchuck

Belated ping


19 posted on 11/29/2018 7:56:24 AM PST by Gamecock (In church today, we so often find we meet only the same old world, not Christ and His Kingdom. AS)
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To: Gamecock

When it comes to dating, meet real people in real life, not losers who have no life outside the Internet.


20 posted on 11/29/2018 8:09:54 AM PST by Wuli
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