Identity impersonation crimes on the Internet are growing significantly and threaten to become one of internet users’ biggest concerns.

A new type of scam being detected is the theft of photographs to create fake profiles on social networks such as OnlyFans, Tinder, or even porn channels.

It is not necessary for the victim’s photos to be explicit; a few real photos of the victim that they have posted on Instagram are enough. To make it more believable that the profile on the associated porn site belongs to the victim, the impersonators also upload blurred images of women masturbating in which their faces cannot be seen and their bodies are not clearly distinguishable.

The harm to the victim is immediate, and the offences the perpetrator is committing are multiple.

However, there are also many questions:

• What should you do if you discover that a fake profile has been created using your photos on a social network?
• Is it reportable?
• What evidence do I need to provide?
• How can I get these fake profiles removed?

At onBRANDING, we are encountering these types of crimes increasingly often. Gloria Gaitán, from the onBRANDING team, shares some advice on Planta Baixa to help prevent this from happening and, if it does happen, to know how to act: