Published on: 2025-07-27

Intelligence Report: These people are relentless Woman warns of a new scam where people ask to use your pictures for an art project – The Daily Dot

1. BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

The most supported hypothesis is that this scam is a new variant of existing social engineering tactics aimed at exploiting personal trust to obtain sensitive information or financial gain. Confidence level is moderate due to the evolving nature of online scams. Recommended action is to increase public awareness and enhance digital literacy to recognize and report such scams.

2. Competing Hypotheses

1. **Hypothesis A**: The scam is primarily a social engineering tactic designed to extract personal information and financial details under the guise of an art project.
2. **Hypothesis B**: The scam is part of a broader, coordinated effort to gather personal data for future phishing or identity theft activities.

Using ACH 2.0, Hypothesis A is better supported due to the direct engagement and request for personal information, which aligns with typical social engineering strategies. Hypothesis B, while plausible, lacks direct evidence of coordination beyond individual scam attempts.

3. Key Assumptions and Red Flags

– **Assumptions**: Scammers rely on the target’s curiosity and trust in seemingly legitimate requests. The assumption that individuals will not verify the legitimacy of requests is critical.
– **Red Flags**: The request for personal information without clear verification, disappearance of profiles post-interaction, and the use of e-checks are indicators of deception.
– **Blind Spots**: Lack of detailed information on the scam’s origin and the potential scale of its operation.

4. Implications and Strategic Risks

The scam represents a persistent threat to personal cybersecurity, with potential cascading effects if personal data is used for broader identity theft or financial fraud. The psychological impact includes erosion of trust in online interactions. Economically, individuals may face financial losses, and there could be broader implications for digital platforms if scams proliferate unchecked.

5. Recommendations and Outlook

• Enhance public awareness campaigns focusing on recognizing and reporting online scams.
• Encourage digital platforms to implement stricter verification processes for user interactions.
• Scenario-based projections:
  • Best: Public awareness reduces scam success rates significantly.
  • Worst: Scams evolve faster than mitigation efforts, leading to widespread data breaches.
  • Most Likely: Incremental improvements in public awareness and platform security reduce but do not eliminate the threat.

6. Key Individuals and Entities

– Jen (TikTok user who reported the scam)
– Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

7. Thematic Tags

national security threats, cybersecurity, social engineering, online scams