Bhopal: Sextortion Scammers Use AI Tools To Morph Pictures

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Sextortion scams are on the rise for past three months in Bhopal. About 29 such cases were registered in May, 31 cases in June and 68 cases in July 2023.

There is a common thread that links the scams. It is the use of Artificial Intelligence-based applications to morph the pictures of targets. The morphed pictures are in obscene videos to blackmail them for money, senior officials of Bhopal district cyber crime cell said.

According to officials, Union minister Prahlad Patel and BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja were recently targeted. Officials said Bhopalites should gain awareness regarding sextortion scams and safeguard themselves from the same.

Experts at district cyber crime cell said newly arrived AI-based tools in the market had given rise to a phenomenon named Deep Fake, in which a person’s face in any video is morphed in such a manner that it appears as if that person is himself/herself in front of the camera, and is voluntarily getting his/her video shot.

They said 74 out of 128 complaints registered in past three months have mentioned the use of AI-tools in getting their pictures morphed in obscene videos.

‘Mostly Addicts Are Targeted’

Assistant commissioner of police (cyber crime) Sujeet Tiwari said sextortion gangs were mostly targeting the people who are alcohol or drug addicts.

“Such persons often answer video call made by sextortion scammers during late night hours, and end up falling prey to the crime. One must avoid answering video calls arriving from unknown numbers at late night hours on social media messaging platforms,” he added.