FRAUDSTERS donning fake breasts as part of a disguise have raked in millions of pounds after blackmailing men who exposed themselves on webcams thinking they were chatting to women.
A bizarre trend in China has seen male internet scammers make themselves look like females with imitation skin and prosthetic boobs to take part in live nude chats with unsuspecting victims.
They then secretly film men while naked before blackmailing them for large amounts of cash.
Cops have issued an official warning to people taking part in the crime, which is reportedly spreading like wildfire across the country.
Police even published a video on the Chinese social media network Weibo to make people aware of the techniques used so they don't fall foul to the trend.
In the video, officers demonstrate how conmen dress up as “fake women” – and to show just how realistic they can look.
The cops are pictured wearing a bra and underwear before pulling the prosthetic skin away, revealing a male chest underneath.
The video then cuts off to footage of two men holding up sets of “fake skin” disguises.
A voice-over from a female police officer says: “You think what you think is what you think?”
She then adds: "Boys, don't chat nude. It’s fraud”.
The video was originally posted in the eastern Zhejiang province and then shared by police social accounts across China.
Fraudsters spend weeks grooming their victims before inviting them to “naked” chats.
The conmen encourage them to download what appears to be a video chat app but is actually spyware designed to scan their phone and email contacts.
The crime has become increasingly prevalent during the coronavirus pandemic.
In the first six months of 2020, The Guangdong Public Security Department received more than 9,000 complaints of blackmail relating to so-called “nude chats”.
At least 10 separate blackmail gangs had been identified and 86 offenders have been arrested, according to a police report.
At least 2,000 victims have been identified and more than £2million has been extorted by the crooks.
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