Sukarno was a revolutionary who became the first President of Indonesia. He served from 1945 to 1967.
The country regarded him as a national hero because he proved his love for his country…
But he was also known to love women.
And this love of women gained interest among intelligence agencies from around the world.
Indonesia was a strategic country in Southeast Asia. It was a focus of contention between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
This meant that Indonesia was a target for both the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The two countries wanted to influence the new President.
And while Sukarno was not a communist, many of his allies were, and he shared some of their beliefs.
So, because of his love for women, the Soviets decided to target him with blackmail.
They filmed Sukarno being intimate with a Russian flight attendant during one of his visits to Moscow.
They wanted to embarrass and discredit him to his country.
The Soviets’ problem was they misread a crucial aspect of Sukarno’s escapades – the fact that he never tried to hide them.
If anything, he flaunted them.
So, when Sukarno was confronted about the video he reportedly asked for extra copies.
Knowing what the Soviets were up to, the CIA was also working to influence Sukarno and his country.
But the CIA took a different approach in their blackmail scheme.
The general line of thinking of the CIA was that they needed a bigger story to blackmail Sukarno.
So, the CIA created a pornographic film with an impersonator acting as Sukarno himself.
The CIA was so persistent in embarrassing Sukarno that they spent millions of dollars on plots.
They even went so far as to create a full-face mask resembling Sukarno for the actor to wear.
But the CIA ran into a big problem. It was the 1950’s and it would be very difficult to distribute the film, and it never made it to the big screen.
Eventually, with help from British allies at MI6, the U.S. facilitated a coup that replaced Sukarno’s government with a pro-western leader.
The reality is that being the victim of blackmail can certainly be stressful.
Even in the case of Sukarno, it would not have looked good, though he didn’t seem to care.
That being said, here are a few things to consider if you are the victim of blackmail.
Don’t speak with the blackmailer:
The more you engage with the blackmailer, the more control they will have over the situation.
Blackmailers take responses as an indication that you will likely give in to their demands.
Once you give a blackmailer any sort of response it could make their demands bigger or more aggressive.
Never negotiate:
The U.S. government doesn’t negotiate with terrorists (unless your last name is Obama). Similarly, you should never negotiate with a blackmailer.
This is the same reason you shouldn’t talk to them in the first place. If you give them a response to their demand then they will know you might do it.
Plus, if you agree to pay them to go away they will likely ask for more money.
Negotiating or giving in to demands only gives the blackmailer more power. They will use this to make more threats.
Save all evidence:
The first reaction for many victims is to block their blackmailers.
People want to pretend it didn’t happen, so they will often delete the e-mails or messages.
But when it comes to prosecuting the people behind these crimes, you need all the evidence possible.
Before deleting anything, screenshot all messages or communication.
Some evidence of blackmailing might be embarrassing, but if you delete it then no one can help you stop your blackmailer.
Update online privacy:
Many blackmailers will use social media or other online platforms to contact their victims.
When this happens you need to double-check your online security.
Make sure your social media is private and not open to everyone to see.
You may also want to block the perpetrator from contacting you. There is nothing wrong with doing this.
But make sure you have taken screenshots of everything they have sent you, because once you block them online you could lose all the evidence.
Contact the police:
Pretty much all forms of blackmail violate laws. Depending on the specific situation, they could be breaking both state and federal laws.
So, while it might be embarrassing, you should always contact law enforcement.
Law enforcement agencies can investigate your case and press criminal charges against the blackmailer.
Dealing with a blackmailer can be stressful and scary. Yet there are plenty of legal options to stop the person.
Blackmail is a crime, and you don’t have to put up with it.
