AI 'nudify' apps used for blackmail and extortion in India
Loan shark companies in India reportedly used AI 'nudify' apps to generate non-consensual fake nude images of borrowers' family members for blackmail and extortion purposes, accessing victims' photos through instant personal loan applications. The practice exploits AI's capability to create realistic deepfake images and represents a growing misuse of AI technology alongside existing deepfake nudes created by individuals.
What happened
Rishabh took out a personal loan of Rs 30,000 from an instant loan app due to financial desperation and poor credit score. When he defaulted on two EMIs, the lender made threats against him.
The loan company used AI 'nudify' apps to generate non-consensual fake nude images of Rishabh's wife Shefali, accessing her photos from his phone gallery through the loan app. The fake images were sent to Shefali and distributed to friends and family members.
Reported impact
Shefali experienced significant distress upon receiving the fake nude photo and seeing it distributed to her social circle. Rishabh was too nervous and ashamed to report the incident to police initially.
Index analysis
According to a cyber security expert, loan app companies gain access to phone galleries when users download their applications, enabling them to use AI tools to generate fake nudes for blackmail purposes.
A US survey found that one in ten minors knows peers who have created deepfake nudes. In India, a Bengaluru teen was arrested in May 2024 for sharing AI-generated nudes of a ninth-grade classmate on Instagram.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.