A woman was arrested by Sharjah Police after details of an alleged blackmail plot were shared on social media.
An Emirati man claimed in a video recording that the woman threatened to accuse him of attempted rape if he did not give her money.
He said in the audio clip, which was posted online, that he had agreed to give the Arab woman a lift in his car to a nearby location after she told him she had no money for a taxi.
He said he gave her Dh850 in cash after she tore her clothing and told him she would accuse him of trying to attack her if he did not pay up.
Police began an investigation after being alerted to the recording.
“As soon as we became aware of the recording, a team of investigators was set up to identify both the man and the woman he was talking about in the recording,” Sharjah police said in a statement.
The man said in the recording that he was afraid to go to police for fear of damaging his reputation.
“The woman was questioned and admitted to all the details of the scam and was referred to the public prosecutors,” said Maj Gen Saif Al Shamsi, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police
“This is an individual practice by the woman and we would have preferred if the man approached us immediately,” Maj Gen Saif said.
Sharjah police urged members of the public to refrain from making such posts on social media.
“This practice has a negative outcome in relation to the security of the community and those who make such posts can be held legally responsible,” Sharjah Police said.
