Scammers harvesting Facebook photos to stage fake kidnappings, warns FBI

The FBI and Malwarebytes warn of a growing virtual-kidnapping scam in which attackers scrape public social-media photos (Facebook, LinkedIn, X, etc.), sometimes manipulate them with AI or simple editing, and present those images as “proof-of-life” to extort friends and family; the advisory outlines signs of manipulated images, the criminals' urgency/pressure tactics, and recommends tightening privacy settings, using verification code words, attempting direct contact with the alleged victim, keeping records of communications, and reporting incidents to the FBI IC3.