The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have launched a joint program to protect college athletes from sexual exploitation. This was reported by infohub.kz.
The FBI announced the collaboration on Monday. According to the agency, criminals target athletes through phishing attacks, stealing passwords and PIN codes, and sending fake messages posing as social media customer service representatives.
Shohini Sinha, assistant director of the FBI's Victim Services Division, said athletes have large social media followings, further expanded by NIL (name, image, and likeness) activities. This makes them attractive targets for criminals, who can exploit athletes' desire to protect their school, team, and personal reputation.
The FBI noted that hackers can steal private images and post or sell them, leading to sextortion. In such cases, athletes may be harassed, stalked, or even have the stolen content posted on their own social media pages.
The NCAA and FBI did not provide specific numbers of sextortion victims, but their partnership will focus on educating athletes. NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Jon Duncan said: "If we can 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."