FBI and Partners Warn Student-Athletes of Sexual Exploitation Schemes

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in partnership with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), today announced a joint initiative to inform student-athletes of some of the cyber-enabled tactics sexual exploitation actors use to obtain and sell their private images, and to direct them to established reporting resources. Our goal is to raise awareness so students can protect themselves and prevent further victimization.

The FBI has determined that student-athletes are frequently targeted due to their public profiles, which are often expanded through Name, Image and Likeness activity, and their visible standing within their schools and communities. This visibility increases both their exposure to targeting and the leverage offenders believe they hold when threatening exposure.

The FBI and NCAA are asking coaches, compliance staff, and athletic department leadership to be part of closing this gap, since they may be the first trusted adults an athlete would turn to. Having these resources available to an athlete before they ever need them is one of the most direct ways an athletic program can protect its own.

“This initiative is about making sure student-athletes, and anyone who may become a target, know they are not alone and that help is available,” said FBI Operation Director, Jose Perez. “Working with the NCAA allows us to reach these students directly with the resources and reporting tools they need, before an incident occurs and after.”

“We hope to break down barrier so law enforcement can help prevent further abuse and connect college athletes who may be targeted with the right support,” said NCAA Vice President for Enforcement, Jon Duncan. “If we play even a small role in preventing these crimes or getting justice or appropriate support for the people impacted by them, we will do everything we can to help.”

The FBI has identified several indicators associated with these schemes, including, unsolicited text messages claiming an account will be disabled absent a verification code and unsolicited emails referencing a new login with an embedded link to reset a password. The FBI advises that a legitimate platform or service will not request a verification code, temporary password, or PIN reset code from an account holder. Utilizing passwords and PINs that do not include personal information, such as names, dates or birth and other easily accessible information, can also help lower the risk of victimization.

Individuals who believe they have been targeted or victimized should not click any links or open unknown documents, cease all contact with the offender, decline to provide any payment or proof of identity, preserve all related messages and images as evidence, and report the incident without delay. Continued contact with an offender, and compliance with payment or other demands, have not been shown to reliably prevent further distribution of a victim’s content and frequently result in additional demands.

The FBI and NCAA are requesting that coaches, compliance staff, and athletic department leadership assist in distributing this information to student-athletes.