Scammers in West Africa, potentially Nigeria and known as Yahoo Boys, have escalated sextortion tactics using AI to create fake news videos that hound victims into paying ransoms. Fraudsters craft videos with falsified CNN branding, featuring AI-generated anchors falsely accusing individuals of serious crimes, including sexual assault, showing victims' photos and explicit content. The deepfake approach is profoundly malicious, seeking to humiliate and extort money under extreme pressure. Targets extend beyond English-speaking individuals to global victims, indicating an alarming evolution of online scamming and blackmail methodologies.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/scammers-are-creating-fake-news-videos-to-blackmail-victims/
"id": "cnn000012825",
"linkid": "cnn",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "1/2025",
"severity": "75",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"