Understand extortion tactics to avoid becoming a victim

With the recent rise in scamming practices, the police in King Cetshwayo District urge residents to understand the most common types of extortion.

These include:

1. Blackmail: threatening to reveal sensitive information unless demands are met.

2. Protection rackets: forcing individuals or businesses to pay for protection from harm, often caused by the extortionist. Victims of this crime are usually foreign nationals who own tuck shops. Extortionists will also approach construction sites and demand money.

3. Cyber extortion: using online threats, such as data theft or cyberattacks, to demand money or services.

4. Financial extortion: forcing someone to make a financial payment or hand over property or livestock through the use of threats.
An extortion protection fee is a criminal offence. For help, victims can contact the national extortion hotline on 0800 911 011.

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