Fifteen people were arrested in Italy on Wednesday in connection with the suicide of a man who was being blackmailed over his internet habits.

The man was contacted by a fake police officer who said he was being investigated for his use of online dating websites, and demanded 5,000 euros (6,200 dollars) to put an end to the matter.
The victim, who lived in Sardinia, took his own life last year as he was still being blackmailed after paying the so-called "fine," the ANSA news agency said, quoting the Carabinieri police.
His parents alerted the Carabinieri, and their investigations uncovered a gang of 20 people who pulled the same fraud on 45 other people, demanding payments ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 euros.
Fifteen of the suspects, all from the north-western region of Piedmont, were placed in pre-trial detention. The Carabinieri also seized 100,000 euros' worth of assets from them.

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