Overview
- In mid‑August 2026 the FBI issued a public service announcement that sexual‑exploitation actors are breaking into social media and personal accounts to steal non‑consensual intimate images and videos.
- The bureau says attackers use credential stuffing, password or PIN guessing, fake customer‑service texts that harvest verification codes, and phishing via lookalike domains to gain access to accounts.
- Stolen images and videos are often posted or sold on criminal marketplaces with victims’ names, phone numbers and handles, which fuels harassment, stalking and sextortion.
- The FBI recommends concrete steps to reduce risk: stop storing sensitive images on internet‑accessible services, use a password manager with unique passwords, enable multi‑factor authentication preferably with passkeys or hardware security keys, and never share verification codes or approve unexpected prompts.
- Recent prosecutions, including an Illinois man sentenced for using fake Snapchat support texts to compromise hundreds of accounts, show law enforcement is pursuing these crimes and the FBI is asking victims to secure accounts, preserve links and report incidents at ncii.ic3.gov.