The FBI has pointed to complaints about sexually explicit deepfakes circulating on the web and cautioned internet users to be careful when posting personal photos and videos or sending direct messages. warned.
Malicious actors use AI-based technology to manipulate harmless images and videos of victims to create explicit content. As deepfake technology advances, such content becomes more authentic and cheaper to access for bad actors.
For more information on deepfakes, see FBI: Deepfakes Used in Remote Job Applications.
Photos and videos are usually captured from the victim’s social media accounts or the open web, but may also be requested directly by the victim.
Any changes will be posted on social media, pornographic websites and other public websites.
The main motivation for this new deepfake campaign appears to be payment with money, gift cards, or to force victims to submit genuine nudity and sex-themed content.
This is an alarming but long-anticipated update to the classic sextortion attack, in which the victim is tricked or coerced into sending explicit content to the perpetrator. The latter then demand money or more content and threaten to share the images or videos publicly or to the victim’s family and friends if they do not comply.
Both children and adults have been reported as victims, and the FBI said it could be “very difficult, if not impossible” to remove manipulated content once posted online. I warned you there is.
The agency urged individuals to consider the following:
- Monitor children’s online activities and discuss with them the risks of sharing personal content online
- Be cautious when posting publicly, especially content that includes children
- Do frequent online searches for yourself and your children
- Apply privacy settings to your social media accounts to limit photo and video exposure
- Find photos and videos using reverse image search
- Be careful when accepting friend requests or sending pictures to strangers online
- Do not send money to online blackmailers
- Protect your social accounts with complex, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication
- Be aware that your friends’ social accounts can be hijacked by malicious attackers
