OnlyFans creators are used to posting adult videos of themselves online, but what happens if someone takes control of their images and uses them for fraud? This week, USA Today revealed how criminals are impersonating OnlyFans creators using AI tools. They use deepfake content to lure the real models’ fans with fake promises of live chats, and then ghost them after the followers pay up in advance.
How the catfishers hook their bait
This is a form of catfishing, in which an attacker impersonates someone online and engages in romantic or sexual interactions for ulterior motives. In this case, the scammers create fake accounts on platforms like TikTok, using material lifted from a real creator’s photos and given a synthetic voice. They’ll use that to nudge viewers into a direct message conversation on services like Snapchat.
Once there, the “creator” asks for a Cash App payment in exchange for exclusive content. Cash App is a peer-to-peer payments service built for casual sends between friends, not for commerce. Transfers clear instantly and settle in the recipient’s balance within seconds. Once it’s been sent, it’s very difficult to recover.
That informal design is exactly what makes it useful here. As soon as the fan pays up, the criminal blocks them and disappears.
