Story perspectives

Telegram Extortion of Iranian Girls Sparks Suicides, Three Arrested

7/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Telegram channel posted private photos of girls and demanded payment to delete them, sparking extortion in several provinces.
Teenage girls and women in Iran died by suicide or were killed after the photos were posted.
Police have arrested three suspects linked to the channel.
Extortion attempts were reported in Lorestan, Kermanshah and West Azerbaijan.
Lawyer Samaneh Sawadi described the campaign as a cybercrime exploiting misogynistic attitudes toward women.

1 of 1

Story summary

A Telegram channel posted private photos of girls and demanded payment to delete them, sparking extortion in several provinces.
Teenage girls and women in Iran died by suicide or were killed after the photos were posted.
Police have arrested three suspects linked to the channel.
Extortion attempts were reported in Lorestan, Kermanshah and West Azerbaijan.
Lawyer Samaneh Sawadi described the campaign as a cybercrime exploiting misogynistic attitudes toward women.