AI & Deepfake Sextortion

Someone used AI to make a fake image of you. The image is fake. The crime is real. And the law is on your side.

🚨 If this is happening to you right now

You do not need to have sent anyone a real image for this to be a crime. AI-generated sexual images of you — real or fake — are illegal to create, distribute, or threaten you with. You have not done anything wrong.

What is deepfake sextortion?

Deepfake sextortion is when someone uses artificial intelligence to create fake sexual or nude images of you — often from a single photo pulled from your social media — and then threatens to share those images unless you pay money, send real explicit images, or do something else they demand.

This is one of the fastest-growing crimes targeting young people. A single selfie from Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok can be turned into a fake nude in minutes using AI tools that are widely available online.

6,000%

increase in AI-generated exploitation reports to NCMEC in 6 months

1 in 8

sextortion victims have been threatened with a deepfake

48 hrs

platforms must remove images under the TAKE IT DOWN Act

The TAKE IT DOWN Act — your legal weapon

In May 2025, the TAKE IT DOWN Act became federal law. This is a big deal. Here's what it means for you:

Creating or sharing deepfake nudes is a federal crime

Even if the image is 100% fake and AI-generated, creating or distributing it is now a criminal offense with enhanced penalties when the victim is a minor.

Platforms must remove images within 48 hours

Once you report non-consensual intimate content (including deepfakes) to a platform, they are legally required to take it down within 48 hours. No more waiting weeks for a response.

The FTC enforces compliance

The Federal Trade Commission can impose civil penalties on platforms that fail to comply. Platforms are taking this seriously.

What to do right now

✎️ Important: Save evidence FIRST

Before you block or report, screenshot everything. See our evidence preservation guide for exactly what to save and how.

Don't panic. The image is fake. People who see it can be told it's fake. You have proof it's fake — it was made by AI.
Don't pay. Paying never makes it stop. It marks you as someone who will pay again.
Screenshot everything — the threats, their profile, any messages, any payment demands.
Report to NCMEC. If you're under 18, file a CyberTipline report at report.cybertip.org
Use Take It Down. If you're under 18, go to takeitdown.ncmec.org to get images removed from platforms.
Report to the platform where the threat is happening. Cite the TAKE IT DOWN Act — they have 48 hours.
Report to the FBI. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov
Tell a trusted adult. A parent, teacher, counselor — anyone. See our conversation scripts if you don't know what to say.

"But what if people believe it's real?"

This is one of the biggest fears, and it's completely understandable. Here's the truth:

AI-generated images are fake and detectable. Forensic analysis can prove an image was AI-generated. Law enforcement has tools for this. If it comes to it, the image can be proven fake.

Context matters. If someone receives a random image from a stranger, most people's first reaction is suspicion, not belief. Especially now that deepfakes are regularly in the news.

You can get ahead of it. If you're worried, telling trusted people first — "someone made a fake image of me with AI" — takes away the scammer's leverage entirely. Our conversation scripts and social media templates can help.

💪 Remember

The person who created or threatened you with a deepfake committed a federal crime. You are the victim. AI-generated images do not define you, they define the person who made them.