The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, or Haia, has tracked down a young man in Riyadh who allegedly took SR300,000 from a girl through blackmail, according to Burnews.com online paper. The young man reportedly convinced the girl through social media that he was a female dermatologist and used this persona to receive illicit photos from her, Haia spokesman Turki Al-Shilail said.

Earlier, when the girl was in contact with the young man over a social networking site, he requested that she send him personal pictures to determine the line of treatment. As soon as he received the photos, the young man revealed his identity and began to blackmail her by asking for money. Over time, he was able to extort SR300,000 from her, Al-Shilail said.

The Haia official cautioned against the use of such online options, particularly for women, which can lead to blackmail, defamation and other crimes.

In light of such scenarios, the Haia has established a special unit to fight blackmail and has received and processed numerous cases.