Scam Alert: Sextortion and AI-Faked Nudes Targeting Nigerians
Nigerian authorities have issued a string of warnings this month about sextortion, a form of online blackmail that is now being boosted by artificial intelligence. The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) raised the alarm at its October cybersecurity awareness events in Abuja, and NITDA’s computer emergency response team issued an advisory about criminals using AI to create fake explicit images. This alert is for everyone who uses social media, dating apps or messaging apps, and especially for parents, teachers and employers who look out for young people and staff.
Key takeaways
- Sextortion is blackmail: criminals threaten to release intimate images or videos unless the victim pays money, sends more images or meets other demands.
- NITDA warns that criminals can now use AI to create convincing fake explicit images, so you can be targeted even if you never shared anything.
- Paying does not make it stop. Blackmailers usually come back for more.
- Save evidence, stop responding, report the account to the platform and report the crime to the police cybercrime centre.
- Sharing someone’s intimate images without consent is an offence in Nigeria, and the police say cases involving children are treated as particularly serious.
What the authorities are saying
On 17 October 2026, at the World Cyber Security Awareness Walkathon in Abuja, AIG Akaninyene Ezima, who heads the NPF-NCCC, warned Nigerians about romance scams and sexual extortion, in which fraudsters build online relationships to obtain intimate photos and later threaten to publish them. He also flagged investment fraud that shows victims fake profit dashboards before blocking withdrawals, and noted that some Nigerians have lost hundreds of millions of naira, with others losing billions, to such schemes.
Days earlier, the Inspector-General of Police used the centre’s 2026 awareness campaign to list common online offences, including sharing someone’s nude or private photos or videos without consent. He urged victims of sextortion, fraud and cyberbullying to come forward and report.
In early October, NITDA’s CERRT advisory warned of rising sextortion threats and the growing use of AI-generated explicit images. It stressed that children, teenagers and adults can all be targeted.
How the scam works, step by step
1. First contact
According to NITDA, the approach often starts on social media, messaging apps, dating platforms or even online games. The account may look like an attractive stranger, a fellow student or a new business contact. NITDA notes that it may be impossible to verify who is really behind such an account.
2. Building trust
The criminal invests time in friendly or romantic chat. Police say fraudsters use these online relationships to gain trust, with the aim of getting the victim to share private photos or videos.
3. The trap closes
Once they have images, or have created fake ones with AI, the tone changes. The victim is threatened that the material will be published or sent to people they know unless they pay or comply.
4. Escalating demands
The first payment is rarely the last. NITDA warns that complying does not guarantee the threats stop, and blackmailers may keep asking for more money or more images.
The AI twist: fakes made from ordinary photos
The newest danger is that a criminal no longer needs a real intimate image. NITDA’s advisory explains that AI tools can be used to create convincing fake explicit images. In practice that means a normal profile picture, graduation photo or work headshot could be misused. Victims may feel they have no defence because “it looks real”. Remember: the shame belongs to the criminal, not to you, and a fake image is still evidence of a crime.
Warning signs
- A new online contact who moves very quickly to flirting or romantic talk.
- Pressure to switch from a public platform to a private messaging app or video call.
- Requests for photos, or attempts to steer a video call towards undressing.
- A profile with few real connections, recently created, or using photos that look too polished.
- Sudden threats, a countdown or a list of your contacts appearing in a message.
- Any demand for money or more images in exchange for “deleting” content.
How to protect yourself and your family
- Do not send intimate images or videos online, even to people you know or trust. This is NITDA’s first recommendation.
- Lock down your profiles. Police urge caution about sharing personal information and photos online, so limit who can see your friends list, photos and workplace.
- Be careful with strangers on dating apps, social media and gaming platforms, and treat unverified accounts with caution.
- Talk to children and teenagers. NITDA notes that young victims often stay silent out of fear or shame. Make it clear they can come to you without being punished.
- Employers: include sextortion in staff security awareness sessions, so employees know it is safe to ask for help if they are targeted.
What to do if you are a victim
- Do not pay and do not send more images. Paying rarely ends the threats.
- Save evidence before blocking. Take screenshots of messages, usernames, profile details, phone numbers, payment requests and account details. Do not delete the chat.
- Stop all contact once you recognise the threat.
- Report the account and the content to the platform where it happened.
- Use StopNCII.org. This free service creates a digital fingerprint of an image on your own device, without uploading it, so that participating platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat can block it from being posted.
- Report to the police. The NPF-NCCC accepts reports through its e-reporting portal at nccc.npf.gov.ng/ereport and by email at nationalcybercrimecenter@nccc.npf.gov.ng.
- Get support. NAPTIP’s cybersecurity response team handles online exploitation, and organisations such as WARIF, the Mirabel Centre and, for minors, the Cece Yara Foundation offer counselling and legal support. If you have already paid money, you can also report to the EFCC.
What you should do
Share this alert with family members, students and staff, and agree a simple rule at home and at work: if anyone is ever threatened with intimate images, real or fake, they should tell someone they trust, keep the evidence and report it, without paying a single naira. Sextortion depends on fear and silence; speaking up early takes away the criminal’s power.
