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A teenage girl had her Instagram photos targeted by online criminals on adult website OnlyFans, but other users say they have no regrets about using the platform.
Georgia McLeod, from Newcastle in New South Wales, had her Instagram photos taken and plastered on the site under her name.
‘I’m just thinking, you know, post a photo here, post a photo there. I never even thought about it,’ the 19-year-old told 60 Minutes.
The organised criminals set up a fake Instagram account under her name, with a link in the bio leading users to an OnlyFans account.
Georgia Mcleod, from Newcastle in New South Wales, had her provocative Instagram photos been taken and plastered on the site under her name
Ms McLeod immediately complained to Instagram and the profile was eventually taken down
The organised criminals set up a fake Instagram account under her name, with a link in the bio leading users to an OnlyFans account
‘I don’t want them thinking, “Oh, OK. She’s an OnlyFans girl” like… It honestly made my stomach churn,’ she said.
‘People would just look at that and be like, “okay, there’s nudes of Georgia”. There’s not, but that would be your first thought,’ she said.
‘I have a family and I don’t want them thinking that. I’ve lost all power.’
Ms McLeod immediately complained to Instagram and the profile was eventually taken down.
But more than 10 fake Instagram pages impersonating Ms McLeod, all leading back to a phony OnlyFans account, kept cropping up.
Anyone who clicked on the link to the adult website had their credit card details stolen.
Cyber security expert Professor David Lacey, who monitors dark web activity daily, discovered an online marketplace which openly sells fake OnlyFans accounts.
Prof Lacey stumbled upon a particularly concerning ‘creator account’ that essentially offers criminals a blank canvas to con subscribers out of money to see non-existent photos of unsuspecting women.
‘These are creator accounts that can be used to e-whore cash out which effectively means that account gives you as a criminal a license to push content such as Georgia’s photos in a way that’s going to entice others to buy your product when it doesn’t even exist,’ he said.
More than 10 fake Instagram pages impersonating Ms McLeod, all leading back to a phony OnlyFans account, then kept cropping up
Prof Lacey, who runs cyber support service ID Care, said dozens of people who are experiencing similar types of crimes get in contact with him everyday.
OnlyFans has admitted what happened to Ms McLeod is becoming an increasing concern on the website.
They said once victims alert them, their copywrite team removes the fake profiles.
‘I think any organisation – OnlyFans or other online platforms or services – that is witnessing organised crime exploit it has a responsibility to take action,’ Prof Lacey said.
‘It’s a problem that we’re going to see persist.’
Ms McLeod got in touch with Ashley Harrison who set up Verified Associates – a business which uses a tailormade computer program to help victims who have had their photos stolen.
The software program works by identifying a photo and doing a search of the internet and then banishing the image every time it pops up.
The team at Verified Associates then carry out monthly checkups to make sure the photo doesn’t reemerge online.
‘It’s mostly about protecting people’s content and enforcing their copywrite,’ Ms Harrison said.
Despite the dark side to OnlyFans, genuine account holders are cashing in on their provocative content.
Former professional surfer Ellie-Jean Coffey, 26, revealed she made a staggering $1million in just one month by sharing saucy videos and photos.
Tennis player Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend Vanessa Sierra, 26, boasted that she could ‘comfortably retire today’ from her earnings.
Former professional surfer Ellie-Jean Coffey, 26, revealed she made a staggering $1million in just one month by sharing saucy videos and photos
‘In the first month you’ll probably garner between $20,000 to $80,000. Well, I made a million,’ she said. ‘It still hasn’t sunk in.’
Tennis player Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend Vanessa Sierra, 26, who like Coffey charges her OnlyFan subscribers a monthly fee on top of ‘extras’, boasted that she could ‘comfortably retire today’ from her earnings.
Her OnlyFans page largely consists of softcore Playboy-esque nude photos.
She also chats to her subscribers through private messages and often sends ‘naughty DMs’ too.
‘I won’t get into exact numbers, but if I wanted to retire today I could do so comfortably,’ she said.
‘I really don’t want to go into exact figures but I’ve earned over $1million.’
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