FILE CORRUPTED
HAPPY SNAPS USED IN PORN SCAMS TO SNARE CASH
CYBER criminals are raiding the social media accounts of Australians and using their photos to set up fake profiles that promise raunchy content but instead pinch cash.
The scammers typically lift photos from a victim’s Instagram feed before creating a fake account with a username similar to their target’s.
They then drop the stolen images onto the faux profile and include a link that directs users to a web page that poses as a subscription-based content platform such as OnlyFans or Justforfans.
People are then prompted to sign up and verify themselves with a form that asks for their credit card details.
A spokesperson for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch confirmed Australians had been caught out. Many had complained about identity theft, with people concerned their images had been stolen from social media platforms for use on these sites.
One such victim is Connie Rothery, who was taken by surprise when she woke one morning to messages asking if she was selling racy images g on a subscription-based social media site. But the 39-year-old Yeppoon local wasn’t and the message was the first indication she had of the scam.
“They had set up a fake Instagram account and used a profile photo of me, and had obviously taken some photos I had shared that were a little bit raunchy and posted them on the profile,” Ms Rothery said.
She said she shared the fake Instagram account on her page and encouraged followers to report it.
“Everyone just jumped on board and reported it, and obviously enough people did because it was taken down in about 15 minutes,” she said.
Onlyfans also confirmed it was aware of the fraudulent activity. Its spokesman said the scam web pages were often hosted by external companies and were created to resemble Onlyfans branding.
“These web pages are entirely separate from the OnlyFans site,” the spokesman said.
Scamwatch said it had received 30 reports relating to bad actor scams over the past two years, with six being lodged this year. More than half were made by people aged 24 and under.