According to law enforcement officials, bad actors produce fake explicit content of their targets, then demand money to remove them from the internet.that the FBI has warned about an increase in extortion schemes involving AI-generated nudes, also known as “deepfake sextortion.”
“The photos are then sent directly to the victims by malicious actors for sextortion or harassment,” an FBI spokesperson said. “Once circulated, victims can face significant challenges in preventing the continual sharing of the manipulated content or removal from the internet.” When posting pictures of themselves online, the public is advised to use caution by the agency. Regardless of being careful online, a deepfake can be made with just a few images or videos, so no one can truly be protected from these extortion tactics unless they take down all of their online images.
The threat posed by such schemes is likely to increase as the technology behind deepfakes develops and becomes more widely available, making it a pressing issue for law enforcement agencies worldwide.