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Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior warned that blackmail and online extortion are punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of QR100,000, urging residents to remain vigilant against cybercrime.
The warning was issued during an awareness webinar titled ‘Cybercrimes and Methods of Prevention’, organised by the Ministry of Interior to educate the public about online threats and ways to protect themselves.
An officer at the Economic and Electronic Crime Prevention Department, First Lieutenant Engineer Adnan Hasan Al Rashid, said blackmail was among the crimes committed through the illegal use of information systems and the internet.
Under Article 6 of Qatar’s Cybercrime Prevention Law No. 14 of 2014, anyone who uses an information network or information technology to threaten or blackmail another person into doing or refraining from doing something faces imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to QR100,000, or either penalty.
Al Rashid stressed the importance of public awareness and urged anyone subjected to blackmail or online extortion to report the incident promptly as the speed of reporting plays a crucial role in investigations since digital evidence can be lost or manipulated.
First Lieutenant Engineer Adnan Hasan Al Rashid during the webinar
During the webinar, Al Rashid advised residents to use strong passwords and change them regularly, warning against using information that can be easily guessed such as names and dates of birth.
He recommended enabling two-factor authentication, regularly updating applications and operating systems, and keeping backups of important data to protect against cyberattacks and extortion.
For email security, he urged users to activate two-step verification, add recovery phone numbers and backup email addresses, and avoid clicking on suspicious links or opening messages from untrusted sources.
Residents were also advised to check the mobile numbers registered under their names and cancel any unfamiliar numbers to prevent criminals from using them to commit fraud without their knowledge.
Al Rashid also cautioned residents against taking and sharing photographs of others in public places without their consent, highlighting Qatar’s laws protecting individuals’ privacy. He noted that photographing others and misusing or publishing their images could expose offenders to legal action, and implored residents to respect people's privacy and remove photographs shared without permission.
He further stressed the need to raise awareness among elderly people, who may be targeted by scammers impersonating their children or relatives and claiming to be in urgent need of financial assistance.
The webinar highlighted several common forms of cybercrime, including hacking, online fraud, threats and blackmail, child sexual exploitation and dissemination of rumours.
The Economic and Electronic Crime Prevention Department receives complaints from individuals and companies and investigates cybercrimes using modern tools and technologies to identify perpetrators and gather evidence.
The department also monitors activities that violate the law or threaten cyberspace security and conducts awareness campaigns targeting different segments of society.
