Social Media Users Warned Over Account Hacks Targeting Intimate Images

The FBI has warned that criminals are breaking into social media and personal accounts to steal intimate images and videos, then posting or selling them alongside victims' personal details. The warning arrives as Irish figures show a sharp rise in reports of intimate image abuse, and while the FBI notice directs victims to an American reporting portal, the correct routes in Ireland are An Garda Síochána and the Irish Internet Hotline.

The FBI public service announcement, issued on 10 August 2026, warns that offenders it describes as sexual exploitation actors are illegally accessing social media and personal accounts to steal explicit content, which it refers to as non-consensual intimate images. The bureau says the stolen material is then shared or posted within community forums, or sold to illicit marketplaces.

The FBI says both adult and underage victims are being targeted. It states that personally identifiable information, such as name, date of birth, email, phone number and social media username, is often posted alongside the stolen content, exposing victims to continued re-victimisation through harassment, sextortion, stalking and other targeted attacks.

Three methods are set out in the notice. The first is high-volume password and PIN attempts using curated lists obtained from data leak sites, social media and open sources, with personal details such as dates of birth and name variations used where the victim is known to the offender.

The second is impersonation of social media customer service. Victims receive a text message stating their account is being disabled or locked unless they respond with a verification code. The offender then requests a password reset on the victim's account, which generates the code and sends it to the victim. Once the victim shares that code, the offender can reset the password and take over the account.

The third is phishing. Look-alike domains and email accounts are created to imitate social media customer support, notifying victims about a new login to their account and embedding a link to change their password. Clicking the link hands over access.

The second method will be the most familiar to Irish social media users. Unexpected messages claiming an account is about to be locked or disabled are a common sight in Irish inboxes, and the verification code is the part that matters.

Sharing intimate images without consent has been a criminal offence in Ireland since February 2021 under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, known as Coco's Law. The legislation is named after Nicole "Coco" Fox, who died by suicide in 2018 following prolonged online and physical abuse, and was introduced after a campaign by her mother, Jackie Fox.

An Garda Síochána states that it is an offence to distribute, publish or threaten to publish or distribute an intimate image of another person without their consent with intent to cause harm, or being reckless as to whether harm is caused. It is a separate offence to record, distribute or publish an intimate image without consent where this seriously interferes with the person's peace and privacy, or causes alarm, distress or harm. Gardaí say the offences carry penalties of up to seven years' imprisonment and unlimited fines.

The Irish Internet Hotline received 862 reports of intimate image abuse in 2025, according to its annual report published in May 2026, up from 519 the previous year. Of those reports, 459 involved confirmed sharing of intimate images.

The same report found that 53 per cent of cases involved images already shared without consent, while 47 per cent related to threats to share images. Seventy per cent of cases occurred outside typical social media or mainstream platforms, and 211 cases were referred to gardaí. A removal rate of 96 per cent was achieved for publicly accessible content, with removal times ranging from three minutes to 24 hours.

Those aged 18 to 24 accounted for 35 per cent of reports, while children and young people under 18 accounted for 13 per cent.

The impact is being felt in Cork. Speaking to the Irish Examiner and the Echo in early June 2026, the Cork regional manager of the ISPCC's Childline service said the Cork operation handles more than 300 calls and 260 online chats each week, and that grooming and sextortion are among the growing concerns raised by young people contacting the service.

Regina O'Sullivan, Cork regional Childline manager:

"Every day in Cork, we have one teenager in distress…"

Gardaí have separately flagged who is being targeted. In April 2026, Detective Superintendent Sinéad Greene of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau told RTÉ's Prime Time that reporting of sexual extortion had increased over the previous two years, and that the group most commonly targeted was young male victims aged between 18 and 24, with males under 18 also being targeted.

Garda advice to anyone affected is not to panic, not to pay, and to save the evidence by taking screenshots, saving messages and images, and collecting the links to where material is being shared online. Gardaí advise reporting the matter to any Garda station as well as through the online reporting facility on the Irish Internet Hotline website, and blocking all communication with the person responsible.

An Garda Síochána's published advice quotes the Garda National Protective Services Bureau on the stigma that keeps victims silent.

Detective Superintendent Ian Lackey, Garda National Protective Services Bureau:

"There is no shame or embarrassment to be associated with sextortion."

Gardaí have partnered with the Irish Internet Hotline to create an online reporting facility that allows victims to report to gardaí through the Hotline website while simultaneously making a content removal request. Where victims request it, gardaí will investigate with a view to prosecuting offenders, while the Hotline engages with the relevant service provider to seek removal of the content.

There are also tools designed to stop images spreading in the first place. StopNCII.org is a free service for adults aged 18 and over that creates a digital fingerprint, known as a hash, of an intimate image, so that participating platforms can detect and block it. The image itself never leaves the person's device. For anyone who was under 18 in the images, a similar tool called Take It Down is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Support is available locally. The Sexual Violence Centre Cork, at 5 Camden Place in Cork City, operates a freephone helpline on 1800 496 496 for those calling from the Cork area, and a text service on 087 1533 393. The national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline is 1800 77 88 88, the Garda Confidential Line is 1800 666 111, and complaints of child abuse can be made in confidence at any hour on 1800 555 222. In an emergency, always call 999 or 112.