Yahoo Boys Allegedly Using AI-Generated News Videos to Blackmail Victims
Cybercriminals in West Africa, reportedly part of the Yahoo Boys scam network, are allegedly using AI-generated deepfake news videos to blackmail sextortion victims. The fake videos impersonate major news organizations like CNN and feature artificial news anchors making false accusations against victims to pressure them into paying money.
What happened
Cybercriminals based in West Africa, likely in Nigeria, going under the umbrella of the Yahoo Boys, have been creating fake news videos using AI-generated news anchors to blackmail sextortion victims into paying money.
The videos impersonate US television stations such as CNN, using their logos and branding, and feature AI-generated newsreaders discussing allegations against the blackmail targets, sometimes including nude and explicit images of the victims.
Reported impact
The blackmail videos are designed to pressure victims into paying money by creating humiliating false news reports that claim the victims are wanted for crimes or have been accused of sexual misconduct.
Index analysis
David Maimon, head of fraud insights at SentiLink and a professor at Georgia State University, first spotted the CNN video in December and noted the fraudsters have made disturbing changes to their blackmailing tactics in recent months, including trying to humiliate people and potentially targeting those outside of English-speaking countries.
A WIRED review of Telegram posts by self-styled Yahoo Boys shows the cybercriminals are sharing tutorials about how to create these blackmailing videos.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.