Intimate images are increasingly used in financial fraud schemes: fake profiles using your photos to deceive romantic partners; your images in extortion schemes demanding payment to prevent distribution; your likeness exploited in business scams; and deepfakes of you used to impersonate you for financial gain. Each of these situations creates exposure under federal wire fraud statutes.

When intimate imagery is part of financial fraud, the FBI has jurisdiction across wire fraud and financial crime laws. A comprehensive IC3 complaint covering all aspects of the fraud, the financial scheme, the intimate imagery use, and the extortion elements, is more effective than filing separate reports with different agencies.

ScanErase finds the instances of your images online. For the fraud criminal proceedings, preserve all financial transaction records, communications, and platform account information as evidence alongside the content exposure evidence in your records.

What to do right now

  1. Run a biometric scan to identify all fraudulent uses of your contentScanErase identifies fake profiles, fraudulent use cases, and all locations where content appears.
  2. File a comprehensive IC3 complaint covering both fraud and NCIIThe FBI handles both wire fraud and NCII. One comprehensive complaint is more effective than separate reports.
  3. Document all financial elements of the fraudTransaction records, payment demands, and financial losses should be documented alongside content exposure evidence.
  4. Report to the FTC for financial fraud elementsThe FTC handles online fraud and works with the FBI on related cases.
  5. Consult an attorney about civil recovery of financial lossesCivil claims against the perpetrator for fraud-related damages may be available, alongside NCII civil claims.