The FBI has issued a public warning that cybercriminals are hacking into the social media accounts of both adults and children to steal intimate explicit images and videos, which are then used to extort victims or are published online without consent. Security experts suggest the alert signals that such incidents may be on the rise, with attacks disproportionately targeting young boys and, in some cases, driving victims to self-harm, making it a significant public health concern.

The FBI says attackers rely mainly on social engineering, including brute-forcing accounts with leaked or reused passwords, impersonating customer service staff from firms such as Instagram, and sending phishing emails linked to fake login pages. Victims often face further harm through harassment, sextortion or stalking. The agency recommends using unique passwords via a password manager, enabling multi-factor authentication, staying alert to unsolicited contact claiming to be from social media companies, and avoiding storing sensitive images in online accounts altogether.