Cyber criminals are exploiting publicly accessible social media photographs of women to create and extort through fake pornographic images. They demand payments in cryptocurrencies to avoid distributing these doctored images online and sharing them with the victim’s acquaintances and professional contacts.

The criminals operate on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. The process involves using freely available AI software to digitally alter images, which can be completed in mere minutes.

One victim, Becca Caddy, an AI expert and technology journalist, received manipulated sexually explicit images of herself. The images were created using a photo she had posted online, with the perpetrator demanding £2,500 in bitcoin, threatening to release the images to her personal and professional network if not paid within 12 hours.

Despite her expertise in artificial intelligence and technology, Caddy was taken aback and decided to publicly share her experience to warn others. She reported the incident to the authorities and highlighted the need for more stringent regulations to prevent the misuse of AI in creating such images.

This scam is part of a broader trend where cybercriminals leverage AI-generated content to exploit individuals financially and emotionally. Measures being tested by social media platforms, like Meta’s blurring of potentially explicit images, aim to curb such crimes. However, ongoing discussion calls for further legislative action and responsibility from tech companies to mitigate these threats effectively.