FBI warns of AI-driven virtual kidnapping extortion scams
The FBI issued a warning on December 5, 2025, about scammers using generative AI and altered images to create fake "proof of life" in virtual kidnapping and extortion schemes. The scammers obtain photos and videos from social media, manipulate them, and contact victims via text demanding ransom payments under threats of violence.
What happened
Tech-savvy con-artists have been creating fake photos and videos to convince victims that their loved ones have been kidnapped, using images and videos obtained from social media or other publicly available sources.
Criminal actors pose as kidnappers, sending what appears to be genuine photos or videos of victims along with demands for ransom payments, typically initiated through text messages with threats of violence.
The fake images often contain inaccuracies upon close inspection, such as missing tattoos or scars, or inaccurate body proportions. Scammers sometimes use timed message features to limit the time victims have to analyze the images.
Reported impact
The scams create psychological pressure on victims and their families through false threats of violence and urgent ransom demands.
Index analysis
The FBI identified that generative AI and image manipulation techniques are being weaponized to create convincing but fabricated proof-of-life materials in extortion schemes.
Governance controls
The FBI urged the public to verify loved ones before paying ransom, establish family code words for authentication, and report suspected scams to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.