Associated Incidents
Parents, please beware and look after your children! A shocking new scam is targeting children, using their own photos and AI-generated videos to demand money. A terrifying new scam is spreading across Facebook and this time, the victims aren't adults, but innocent children. A local family learned a frightening lesson about modern scams late last night when their teenage son received a threatening message containing his photo and an AI-generated explicit video. The attackers demanded RM5,800 and pressured the boy to pay. This is a new and disturbing twist in online extortion that parents and young people must urgently guard against.
The incident began around 11:40 p.m. when the boy received a message on Telegram app. The sender had no phone number but immediately posted a personal photo of him together with a doctored video. Frightened but level-headed, the boy did not panic; instead he reached out to a trusted school contact, who had experience helping another student who'd faced a similar attack.
"He stayed calm and asked for advice," the boy's mother said. She only learned about the incident the next morning. She rushed to the police station to file a report as soon as she could.
Police officers told the family that this is becoming an increasingly common scheme. Scammers are all using AI deepfake tools to create fake "hamsap" (explicit) clips that look real and then threaten victims, including minors with exposure unless they pay. Officers warned that people of any age can be targeted and urged families to report incidents immediately. According to the mother, the extortionist repeatedly tried to scare her son. The attackers demanded RM5,800 and threatened to release the fabricated footage if the boy didn't comply. "They tried to frighten him, but we went straight to the police," she said. She added a plea to other parents: don't let fear force you into paying.
A warning and a call to action
This family's experience shows how quickly technology that should benefit us can be weaponized. Scammers are becoming bolder and more sophisticated; their targets now include children. Parents and guardians should have open conversations with their children about online safety. Especially about what to do if they receive threatening messages or strange files.
If you or someone you know experiences similar harassment: document everything, do not pay, and report it to the police and the platform. The most important step is not to face it alone. Take care of your family and share to article!