FBI Warns of Rising Sextortion Schemes Targeting Social Media Accounts The FBI has issued a public alert warning that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting adults and children by hijacking social media and online accounts to steal sexually explicit images or videos. These attackers then use the stolen content for blackmail, threatening to leak it publicly or share it with victims’ contacts unless demands often financial are met. In some cases, the material is sold on criminal marketplaces, sometimes alongside victims’ personal details, such as names, birthdates, and social media handles, which can be used to coerce further exploitation. The agency highlighted that victims frequently face ongoing harassment, stalking, or additional attacks, including the unauthorized posting of stolen content on their own social media profiles. The warning follows a joint alert from the FBI and the NCAA, which revealed that student-athletes are also being targeted in similar schemes. Cybercriminals often trick victims into providing verification codes or clicking malicious password reset links, enabling account takeovers. To mitigate risks, the FBI advises against storing explicit content on accessible platforms, using weak or personal information-based passwords, or engaging with unsolicited messages requesting verification codes. While the bureau did not specify the catalyst for the alert, such advisories typically follow a surge in reported incidents. In 2021, the FBI noted a sharp rise in sextortion complaints, and recent cases underscore the severity of the threat one Canadian man was sentenced to 33 years in prison in May for sextorting over 145 children, some as young as six, over an eight-year period.