A guy connected with what he thought was a woman on LinkedIn.
She appeared to work in his industry.
The following month he was scheduled to travel to Singapore and give a professional talk.
The supposed woman claimed she lived in Singapore and suggested they exchange mobile numbers.
Big mistake.
From what the client relayed, she spent weeks stroking his ego.
She admired his work.
She praised his articles.
She complimented his speaking engagements.
Eventually he let his guard down.
He made the mistake of sharing compromising photos.
Then the threat arrived.
What made this case different was that the blackmailer was not threatening to expose him to his LinkedIn connections.
She was threatening to expose him to the business professionals attending his seminar in Singapore.
Imagine the fear.
Standing on stage.
Walking into a conference room.
Knowing someone is threatening to send compromising material to the very people you are there to impress.
The client was terrified.
I immediately stepped in, took over the communications, and posed as him.
From there I worked to stall the payment demands, back off the threat, and prevent exposure.
Many victims think LinkedIn blackmail is about coworkers and employers.
Sometimes it is.
Sometimes the blackmailer targets the very event, conference, or business opportunity that matters most.
That is why strategy matters.
Frank M. Ahearn steps in, takes over, and works to prevent the worst from happening.