Deepfake sextortion scams target public figures and minors
Deepfake sextortion scams reportedly targeting public figures and minors used synthetic videos and images of a former Nashville meteorologist to attempt extortion. The victim, Bree Smith, left her television position after discovering hundreds of fraudulent accounts using her doctored image across social media platforms, and subsequently backed Tennessee legislation to allow sextortion victims to sue.
What happened
Former Nashville CBS-affiliated meteorologist Bree Smith's image was used to create explicit deepfake pictures and videos with her face edited onto different partly nude bodies, which were then used in sextortion scams to attempt to extort money from others.
Smith discovered the deepfakes in January when she received an email with a screenshot of an exchange between a sender and an impersonator posing as the doctored version of her on the internet. She tracked hundreds of fraudulent accounts using her deepfake across multiple platforms including Facebook and Instagram, adding 24 new accounts over the course of just one week.
Reported impact
Smith reported emotional distress, saying she cries herself to sleep most nights because she does not want her children to see the images. She left her position at the local CBS-affiliated station in January after months of fighting the deepfakes.
According to the FBI, sextortion scams like this one have targeted tens of thousands of Americans in the past year alone.
Index analysis
The scam involved deepfake accounts offering private dinners and intimate acts in exchange for hundreds of dollars, and targeted anyone who might recognize Smith from her television work.
Governance controls
Smith became a vocal advocate for regulations to empower sextortion victims to fight back against offenders. She testified before the Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee about her experience and its impact on her family.
A bill called the 'Preventing Deepfake Images Act,' which Smith backed, passed the Tennessee Senate and was sent to Governor Bill Lee, who was expected to sign it into law. The bill provides a path for people targeted by sextortion scams to sue if images of them are shared without their consent.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.