Scammers target OnlyFans users with deepfakes

OnlyFans creators are used to posting adult videos of themselves online, but what happens if someone takes control of their images and uses them for fraud? This week, USA Today revealed how criminals are impersonating OnlyFans creators using AI tools. They use deepfake content to lure the real models’ fans with fake promises of live chats, and then ghost them after the followers pay up in advance. How the catfishers hook their bait This is a form of catfishing , in which an attacker impersonates someone online and engages in romantic or sexual interactions for ulterior motives. In this case, the scammers create fake accounts on platforms like TikTok, using material lifted from a real creator’s photos and given a synthetic voice. They’ll use that to nudge viewers into a direct message conversation on services like Snapchat. Once there, the “creator” asks for a Cash App payment in exchange for exclusive content. Cash App is a peer-to-peer payments service built for casual sends between friends, not for commerce. Transfers clear instantly and settle in the recipient’s balance within seconds. Once it’s been sent, it’s very difficult to recover. That informal design is exactly what makes it useful here. As soon as the fan pays up, the criminal blocks them and disappears. Why the laws don’t reach the actual servers Lawmakers are tackling this with multiple state-level anti-deepfake bills. Federally, the Take It Down Act criminalizes non-consensual explicit content, including AI-generated images, and requires rapid platform takedowns. In the EU, the AI Act requires anyone who uses AI for image generation to disclose it publicly. So why is this still happening? The problem is that domestic laws only apply to domestic platforms. The stolen material largely sits on overseas hosts, making it difficult to control. Even if laws could be universally enforced, it might not matter. In three experiments conducted this year, researchers at the University of Bristol found that most participants relied on deepfake content even after being told it was fake. What actually helps This kind of fraud has two victims: the fans who lose money to scams, and the creators. The latter lose income that they might have collected from fans, and also run the risk of retribution from disgruntled followers who think they’ve been taken advantage of. One creator, Jessieanna Campbell, told USA Today that confused fans complained to her after mistakenly thinking she had taken their money. “I get messages all the time, like, ‘Hey, why did you take my $150 and block me?’ and I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?'” USA Today also interviewed one creator who had angry fans visit her home, and is now sometimes scared to leave her house. Some creators are hiring private content takedown services to try and fix the problem themselves. Others are posting public service announcements warning of these fake accounts. But it’s up to the fans to listen. If a “creator” on a third-party platform contacts you, watch the video closely; the deepfakes are often flawed. USA Today reported that a TikTok video impersonating creator Elaina St. James, made by animating a still photo and cloning her voice, showed distorted teeth and frozen eyebrows. Here’s our guide to spotting deepfakes of any kind. Common sense is the bottom line. If someone steers you into a direct messaging platform and solicits money for exclusive content, think twice. Check with the creator via a verified account to see if it’s real. Scammers don’t need to hack you. They just need you to click once. Malwarebytes Identity Theft Protection catches suspicious activity before it becomes a problem. About the author Danny Bradbury has been a journalist specialising in technology since 1989 and a freelance writer since 1994. He covers a broad variety of technology issues for audiences ranging from consumers through to software developers and CIOs. He also ghostwrites articles for many C-suite business executives in the technology sector. He hails from the UK but now lives in Western Canada.