According to a new blog by AVAST threat intel researchers, many cybercriminals are now combining AI with data breaches to execute sextortion attacks. These scammers are using AI and other stolen data to carry out personalized scams and many online daters are falling victim to it. There was a 137% increase in sextortion attacks in the US and a 49% and 34% increase in the UK and Australia respectively. The cybercriminals are also using new tactics to carry out these attacks.
Threat Intelligence Director at Avast, Michal Salat, says sextortion victims are receiving alarming messages that claim that hackers have access to their private videos and images. The scams become more credible because of data breaches from stolen passwords. Scammers are also using AI to create deep fake images and explicit videos where they paste the victim's face into other bodies. As AI is improving, extortion of texts, emails, and calls is also getting advanced and the victims get worried because of the fear of exposure.
Scammers are also pulling images from Google Maps to threaten victims with fabricated images of their homes. These scammers are using the dark web to gather emails, names, and addresses of the victims and then they combine this personal information with Google Maps images to create unsettling footage of victims’ homes. The scammers are also claiming to have access to the devices of the victims and they are threatening them to leak their personal information or sexual content.
Even though all those images and threats are AI-generated, they still shock the victims especially if their personal data is accurate and then they feel pressure to comply with ransom demands. About 15,000 Bitcoin wallets are linked to Google Maps scams which means that scammers are making huge profits. Do not open attachments or reply to suspicious emails, texts, or calls to protect yourself from these scams. Teenagers are more vulnerable to these attacks and they often become victims of these attacks through social media. They should stay calm if this kind of situation happens to them and should pay the ransom demand.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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Threat Intelligence Director at Avast, Michal Salat, says sextortion victims are receiving alarming messages that claim that hackers have access to their private videos and images. The scams become more credible because of data breaches from stolen passwords. Scammers are also using AI to create deep fake images and explicit videos where they paste the victim's face into other bodies. As AI is improving, extortion of texts, emails, and calls is also getting advanced and the victims get worried because of the fear of exposure.
Scammers are also pulling images from Google Maps to threaten victims with fabricated images of their homes. These scammers are using the dark web to gather emails, names, and addresses of the victims and then they combine this personal information with Google Maps images to create unsettling footage of victims’ homes. The scammers are also claiming to have access to the devices of the victims and they are threatening them to leak their personal information or sexual content.
Even though all those images and threats are AI-generated, they still shock the victims especially if their personal data is accurate and then they feel pressure to comply with ransom demands. About 15,000 Bitcoin wallets are linked to Google Maps scams which means that scammers are making huge profits. Do not open attachments or reply to suspicious emails, texts, or calls to protect yourself from these scams. Teenagers are more vulnerable to these attacks and they often become victims of these attacks through social media. They should stay calm if this kind of situation happens to them and should pay the ransom demand.
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