Hackers are hunting for your private photos, FBI warns: 6 ways to avoid a sextortion nightmare
Hackers who steal compromising images of you from social media and personal accounts are selling them on the dark web. Here's how to protect yourself.
Hackers are targeting explicit photos from social media accounts, according to the FBI. These hackers steal and sell the images on the dark web, sometimes alongside personal details like the victim's name, date of birth, email address, and phone number. The result is sexual exploitation or "sextortion" schemes where criminals blackmail the victims, causing further harm.
To avoid these cyber threats, the FBI recommends several precautions:
1. Don't store sensitive images or videos on social media or public websites.
2. Create strong, unique passwords and PINs for your online accounts, avoiding personal information in them.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible to verify login attempts.
4. Don't click on links in unsolicited emails or text messages. Instead, access websites directly to sign in.
5. Use a computer rather than a mobile device to view suspicious emails, and hover over links to check for irregularities.
6. Be wary of temporary password, PIN reset, or access codes you didn't request. Never share login credentials with anyone.
By following these six steps, you can help protect yourself from becoming a victim of sextortion and other dangerous cyber schemes.
Written by urgent.news from ZDNet's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
