• Emotional and psychological trauma

• Emotional trauma and social humiliation

• Cyberbullying or blackmail using fake images

• Reputational damage in schools, workplaces, or social circles

• Legal consequences for perpetrators, but often slow or difficult to enforce

• Sharing clear selfies or images publicly on social media

• Using platforms with inadequate privacy settings

• Uploading photos on unverified or insecure websites

• Falling for fake contests or "free makeover" apps that collect facial data

• Limit sharing of personal photos, especially publicly

• Use strong privacy settings on all social platforms

• Avoid uploading your face to untrusted websites or apps

• Educate children and teens about the risks of photo misuse

• Report misuse to cyber cells or use platforms like https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/ (for individuals under 18 years of age) or https://stopncii.org/ (for individuals above 18 years of age)

• You can also report any cases related to abuse or misuse of images to cybercrime.gov.in in the women/children related crime section.

Meera, a 17-year-old student, shared a few selfies on her public Instagram profile. A few weeks later, she discovered morphed nude images of herself circulating on a fake profile with her name and school info. The image was created using AI tools and meant to blackmail her for money. Fortunately, Meera confided in her parents, filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Portal (cybercrime.gov.in), and her school arranged an awareness session for students and parents. The fake images were taken down using the “Take It Down” tool.