The FBI has issued a warning about criminals altering images shared on social media and using them as fake “proof of life” photos in virtual kidnapping ransom scams. However, the FBI explained that virtual kidnapping scams involve no actual abduction. Instead, criminals use manipulated images found on social media to create convincing scenarios designed to pressure victims into paying ransoms before verifying that their loved ones are safe. Criminals will typically contact their victims through text messaging, claiming they have kidnapped their loved one and demand a ransom be paid for their release. They then send what appears to be a genuine photo or video of the victim’s loved one, which upon close inspection often reveals inaccuracies when compared to actual photos of the loved ones. To defend against such scams, the FBI recommends taking several protective measures, such as avoiding providing personal information to strangers while traveling and establishing a code word known only to the family to verify communications during emergencies. The FBI also recommends taking screenshots or recording proof-of-life photos whenever possible for later analysis during investigations, since scammers sometimes deliberately send these photos using timed message features to limit the time victims have to analyze the images.
