AI-Generated Intimate Image Blackmail Targeting Men in Hungary
Hungarian authorities report that criminals are using artificial intelligence to create fake intimate images and use them to extort money from men they contact on dating platforms. The Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság's Internet Hotline received over 250 reports of such abuse in 2024 and early 2025, with men now making up roughly half of all victims.
What happened
Perpetrators use dating platform profiles with decorative photos to initiate contact with men, progressing conversations to sexual topics to extract intimate images.
Perpetrators use artificial intelligence to manipulate non-intimate images into depictions of nudity or sexual activity, then use these fabricated images to extort money from victims under threat of public distribution.
Reported impact
According to Hungary's Internet Hotline, the service received 150 reports in 2024 and 128 cases by pre-Christmas 2025 of non-consensual intimate content abuse.
Men now report similar victimization rates as women, with Hungarian data showing at least equal numbers of male victims seeking help in 2024 and 2025, consistent with Dutch hotline data showing approximately 40 percent male victims.
Index analysis
The method and motivation for intimate image abuse has changed over 15 years of Internet Hotline operations, shifting from revenge-motivated sharing among relationship partners to profit-driven extortion targeting strangers.
Perpetrators are increasingly using artificial intelligence to fabricate compromising material from non-intimate images, expanding the pool of potential victims and evidence for blackmail.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.