US Government Warns Citizens About The Spike In 'Sextortion' Cases From Threatening AI

The FBI reported a sharp increase in sextortion cases using AI. (photo: x @FBI)

JAKARTA - The United States government issued a warning to its citizens regarding the surge in'sextortion' cases that are currently hitting the country - and this attack has led to at least 20 suicides in recent years.

'Sextortion' occurs when the perpetrator convinces the victim to send a sexual image or video and then threatens - and the perpetrator threatens to publish the material if he does not receive further content or money.

However, these attacks are now combined with artificial intelligence (AI), providing tools for perpetrators to create interesting personas and produce convincing conversations.

These attacks have increased 1.000 percent in the past 18 months, according to the Network Spread Research Institute, driven by West African gangs targeting young people on Instagram, Snapchat, and Wizz.

DailyMail.com spoke with a former policeman who shared warning signs about the attack, such as some details in the social media profile and the type of language used.

I have seen and investigated many cases of sextortion. Often the victims are devastated by what happened and are very embarrassed. Sometimes the sexual videos shared by the victim with the perpetrator will be given little by little to the employer, co-worker, friends, and the victim's family to increase pressure on the victim to pay their ransom, "said Adam Pilton, who previously led the cyber crime team.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a recent warning after revealing an increase in attacks since October 2022.

"Sextortion can be started on any site, application, messaging platform, or game where people meet and communicate. In some cases, the perpetrator's first contact will be a threat," the agency said.

The person may claim to already have images or videos revealing from a child to be shared if the victim doesn't send more pictures. More often, however, these crimes start when young people believe they are communicating with someone the age of interested in having a relationship or with someone offering something valuable, "said the FBI.

Adam Pilton, Cybersecurity Consultant at CyberSmart, also shared warning signs and ways to identify sextortion actors who use artificial intelligence.

These attacks often involve using artificial intelligence to produce profile images and use chatbot software to create convincing conversations.

Pilton warns that important warning signs are discrepancies in photo details - if attackers use artificial intelligence to produce images, the person's appearance can change or the setting can vary between images.

Users must also be aware of very fast responses and responses that do not seem to pay attention to what you have said. Users must also be careful if they see inconsistent use of language (for example, switching between affection and formal).

"If you are targeted, the first step you should take is to report the perpetrator to the platform you are using and to law enforcement," Pilton said while noting that the victim should block any further contacts.

"It's important to report it. Call your local FBI office, call 1-800-Call-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.," he said.

Abuse on social media has led to the death of James Woods, a 17-year-old teenager runner who was victim of an online sexual extortion scheme in November 2022.

The victim was also asked not to delete any communications, although it was embarrassing. Message exchanges can be used to track the perpetrators and save others from similar crimes.

Right now, it's important to raise awareness about this threat. Family, friends, even schools should all make those most vulnerable to this attack aware of the dangers.

It's important to remember that if you or someone you know becomes a victim of sextortion, this is a crime and must be reported. The more reports made, the more likely the perpetrator will be arrested and tried.