Cybercriminals Fake News Anchors

This is a West Africa news story, published by Wired, that relates primarily to Telegram news.

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Wired

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US Politics

Scammers Are Creating Fake News Videos to Blackmail Victims

Summary

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55% Informative

Cybercriminals have taken their blackmailing efforts up a notch, creating realistic-looking “news” videos that claim their victims are wanted for crimes.

Scammers based in West Africa , likely in Nigeria , have increasingly been seen sending blackmail victims videos likely using AI -generated news anchors in a bid to pressure victims into paying up.

A WIRED review of posts on Telegram by self-styled Yahoo Boys shows the cybercriminals are impersonating television stations based in the US .

Last year , Telegram removed more than a dozen Yahoo Boy channels after WIRED reported on their public activity.

Messages shared within Telegram channels show how the fraudsters are quick to evolve their cons, use new technologies, and widely share or sell advice with each other.

One scammer explained the steps needed to create false news videos and mocked-up front pages of newspapers.

VR Score

Informative language

Neutral language

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informal

Language

English

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Offensive language

offensive

Hate speech