PHOENIX — A new warning from the FBI and NCAA is putting college athletes on alert about online sexual exploitation schemes designed to steal, exploit, and even sell private images.
The warning comes just weeks after ABC15 Mornings took a closer look at the growing threat of sextortion and how online predators are targeting teenagers.
Now, ABC15's Kaley O’Kelley is taking a closer look at why federal investigators say student-athletes can face an additional layer of risk because of their visibility. O’Kelley has reported on these cases extensively on ABC15 Mornings.
The FBI and NCAA announced a joint initiative Monday aimed at helping student-athletes recognize cyber-enabled tactics used by people trying to obtain private images. The FBI says athletes are frequently targeted because their public profiles — often amplified by Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) activity — can give criminals both greater access to their targets and more leverage when threatening to expose private material.
The FBI says some of the warning signs may look like ordinary account-security messages.
One tactic involves an unsolicited text claiming an account will be disabled unless the user provides a verification code. Another involves an unexpected email warning about a new login and directing the person to click a link to reset a password.
Investigators warn legitimate platforms should not ask users to provide verification codes, temporary passwords, or PIN reset codes to someone contacting them.
Once criminals gain access to an account or private material, victims can be threatened with having intimate images distributed publicly unless they meet the offender's demands.
The FBI has separately warned that sextortion schemes can also begin when offenders create fake identities and contact victims through social media, gaming platforms or messaging apps. In financially motivated cases involving young people, scammers may pose as another teenager or potential romantic interest before obtaining an explicit image and demanding money.
For athletes, the potential consequences of public exposure can be particularly powerful.
Student-athletes may have large social media followings, sponsorships, NIL agreements and highly visible roles within their schools and communities. The FBI says offenders can use that visibility as leverage when threatening a victim.
The FBI and NCAA are also asking coaches, compliance staff and athletic department leaders to share the warning with athletes and make sure they know where to turn before an incident happens.
The FBI says victims should not pay an offender or continue negotiating with them.
Instead, investigators recommend:
- Do not click suspicious links or open unknown documents.
- Stop communicating with the offender.
- Do not send money, identification or additional information.
- Save messages, images and other evidence.
- Report what happened as soon as possible.
Paying does not guarantee the images will stay private. The FBI says complying with demands can instead lead to additional threats and demands.
Victims can report non-consensual intimate images through the FBI's IC3 reporting system and can also submit a tip directly to the FBI or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The FBI says one of the most important messages for victims is to report the crime rather than trying to handle it alone. Sextortion and online sexual exploitation can move quickly, but investigators say stopping contact, preserving evidence, and reporting the offender can help prevent more cases from happening
