Jurisdictions involved
UAE, UK, US and South Africa.
The business and background
The client is a HNW individual in the UAE and the CEO of a large publicly listed business conglomerate. He was the subject of a “romance scam” which resulted in extortion and blackmail with the client acquiescing and making significant payments.
What we did
We had to understand the nature of the information that the criminals had in their possession and the likely impact if disclosed in the public domain. To do this we imaged the client’s electronic devices and email account to conduct a forensic review of emails and text messages to establish a chain of events and corresponding analysis. We then conducted a forensic review of a passport provided by one of the perpetrators to establish its authenticity. We confirmed that the passport had been forged.
We also undertook surveillance work in the UK to establish the whereabouts of the individual who received funds into two UK bank accounts and established direct communication with the individual who agreed to provide intelligence on the syndicate operating in South Africa.
Surveillance work in South Africa was carried out to map the connections between different individuals and intelligence was gathered on their profile and track record. In addition, we conducted investigative work in South Africa related to the recipients of funds via Western Union and other payment channels.
Our team conducted forensic work on the client’s electronic devices to ensure no malware was deployed and performed a diagnostics health check. We prepared reports and liaised with law enforcement, providing affidavits and witness statements relating to the individuals who organized and executed the extortion.
The outcome
The matter was handed over to South African law enforcement and the appropriate action has been taken. The extortion and blackmail ceased.
