Malwarebytes analyzed high-pressure extortion scams, including sextortion, deepfakes, and virtual kidnapping, revealing a disproportionate impact on younger generations. Gen Z is especially vulnerable to AI-driven scams. Overall, one in three mobile users have been targeted by an extortion scam, and nearly one in five have fallen victim. Sextortion, a particularly invasive threat involving the potential exposure of nude photos, videos, or pornographic search history, affects one in six mobile users, rising to 38% among Gen Z.
“AI has poured gasoline on extortion scams, making it easier than ever to target people with real or manipulated images or videos paired with real information about them from the dark web,” said Shahak Shalev, Global Head of Scam and AI Research, Malwarebytes. “These ruthless scams weaponize shame, exploiting our deepest fears to force quick decisions and fast payouts. I want to remove the shame associated with scams and instead encourage people to share their stories to help educate others. If we can remove the stigma and silence around scams, I think we can help everyone take a step back and pause before acting on one of these threats.”
Key findings
- Most at risk: extortion scams victims and targets have a profile that stands apart from other scam groups. They tend to be:
- Young: 69% of victims and 64% of targets are Gen Z or Millennial (vs. 52% of victims and 40% of targets of other types of scams, respectively)
- Male: 65% of victims and 60% of targets are male (vs. 48%/45%)
- Parents: 45% of victims and 41% of targets are parents (vs. 36%/26%)
- Minorities: 53% of victims are non-white (vs. 39%)
- Mobile-first: 52% of victims and 46% of targets agree “I’m more likely to click a link on my phone than on my laptop” (vs. 42%/36%)
- Damage is emotional and deeply personal: These personalized, high-pressure threats make extortion victims especially vulnerable, and while victims of all mobile scams suffer serious emotional, financial and functional fallout at the hands of their scammers, extortion victims experience outsized impact:
- Nearly 9 in 10 extortion victims reported emotional harm because of the scam they experienced.
- 35% experienced blackmail or harassment
- 21% experienced damage to their reputation
- 19% faced consequences at work or school
- AI is raising the stakes: One in five mobile users have been the target of a deepfake scam and nearly as many have encountered a virtual kidnapping scam (a decades-old tactic that now often uses AI voice cloning). Two in five (43%) Gen Z users have been a target of one of these.
- Emotional fallout: For victims of AI-driven scams, the fallout is even more extreme: 32% suffered reputation damage (vs. 21% for extortion victims overall), 29% suffered work/school consequences (vs. 11%), 24% had their personal information stolen (vs. 14%), and 21% had financial accounts opened in their name (vs. 13%), underscoring the threat of these evolving scams.
How to keep scammers at bay
Use STOP, our simple scam response framework to help protect against scams.
- S—Slow down: Don’t let urgency or pressure push you into action. Take a breath before responding. Legitimate businesses like your bank or credit card don’t push immediate action.
- T—Test them: If you answered the phone and are feeling panicked about the situation, likely involving a family member or friend, ask a question only the real person would know—something that can’t be found online.
- O—Opt out: If it feels off, hang up or end the conversation. You can always say the connection dropped.
- P—Prove it: Confirm the person is who they say they are by reaching out yourself through a trusted number, website or method you have used before.
Scam Guard: An AI-powered digital safety companion to thwart scams
Scam Guard can help people identify and avoid scams. The free tool provides real-time feedback on scams, threats and malware alongside digital safety recommendations. Embedded within the Malwarebytes Mobile Security app, the feature aims to remove the stigma of shame around scams by helping educate and guide users before it’s too late. Users simply tap to submit suspicious content via a chat interface within the mobile app.
Related News:
iPhone Users at Greater Risk? Malwarebytes Finds Security Awareness Gap
Malwarebytes Launches Scam Guard: AI Mobile Scam Protection
About the Survey
The research is based on a March 2025 survey prepared by an independent research consultant and distributed via Forsta among n=1,300 survey respondents ages 18 and older in the United States, UK, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The sample was equally split for gender with a spread of ages, geographical regions and race groups, and weighted to provide a balanced view.
