Fbi: Scammers using AI to make sexually-explicit content, extort victims: FBI – Times of India

Several cybersecurity companies have reported that cybercrime is on the rise and attackers are using multiple tactics for their financial gains. Now, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an advisory warning people of an “uptick” in extortion schemes involving fake nudes created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The agency said that as of April this year, it has received an increasing number of reports of “sextortion”, a type of extortion tactic wherein criminals trick a victim into providing financial benefits by threatening to reveal an explicit or sexually-themed photo.
How cybercriminals create fake images
According to the advisory, cybercriminals find images of a victim on social media and then edit them using AI to make them look realistic and sexually-explicit.

“The photos are then sent directly to the victims by malicious actors for sextortion or harassment. Once circulated, victims can face significant challenges in preventing the continual sharing of the manipulated content or removal from the internet,” FBI said.
Criminals blackmail victims
According to the agency, blackmailers use such material to demand real nude images from a victim or payments.
“The key motivators for this are a desire for more illicit content, financial gain, or to bully and harass others,” FBI said.

How to safeguard
The FBI recommends that the public exercise caution when posting or directly messaging personal photos, videos and identifying information on social media, dating apps and other online sites.
It, however, also says that advancements in content creation technology provide malicious actors an abundant supply of content to exploit for criminal activity.
Parents are also advised to monitor their children’s online activity and youngsters must use discretion when posting images, videos and personal content online.
It is to be noted that once content is shared on the internet, it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove once it is circulated or posted by other parties.