Ride the Lightning

FBI Warning: Scammers Using Public Photos/Videos to Create Deepfakes and Extort Money

June 7, 2023

PC Magazine reported on June 5 that the FBI has issued a warning that scammers are (no surprise) using AI to manufacture explicit deepfake photos and videos of people in an attempt to extort money from them. This is commonly known as “sextortion.”

We post photos everywhere, especially on social media. Scammers can use those photos and apply image and video editing software to create AI-created porn with the victim’s face.

“The FBI continues to receive reports from victims, including minor children and non-consenting adults, whose photos or videos were altered into explicit content,” the agency said in the alert. “The photos or videos are then publicly circulated on social media or pornographic websites, for the purpose of harassing victims or sextortion schemes.”

One scheme involves the bad actor pretending to be an attractive girl and then duping a teenage boy into sending “her” nude photos. The scammer threatens to post the nudes online unless money is paid.

The FBI noted recent sextortion schemes have also involved the use of deepfakes. “As of April 2023, the FBI has observed an uptick in sextortion victims reporting the use of fake images or videos created from content posted on their social media sites or web postings, provided to the malicious actor upon request, or captured during video chats,” the agency said. In some cases, the predators will also use the deepfakes to pressure a victim into sending them “real sexually-themed images or videos.”

These deepfakes might convince more states to outlaw their use. Only a few states, such as Virginia and California, have banned deepfake porn. Last month, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) introduced federal legislation to ban non-consensual deepfakes, making them a criminal offense.

This may be something that Congress can agree upon. Hat tip to Dave Ries.

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq., President, Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
3975 University Drive, Suite 225, Fairfax, VA 22030
Email:  Phone: 703-359-0700
Digital Forensics/Cybersecurity/Information Technology
https://senseient.com
https://twitter.com/sharonnelsonesq
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharondnelson
https://amazon.com/author/sharonnelson