Azerbaijan's law enforcement agencies have conducted a new cyber operation targeting the blackmail of women on social media platforms. The Main Cybercrime Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained an individual accused of manipulating citizens' photos and videos into offensive formats and demanding money for their removal.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs provided official information on the matter to Operative Information Center-OMM. It was determined that the suspect, 21-year-old M. Atakishiyev, obtained photo and video footage of women from TikTok, Instagram, and Telegram.
The suspect subsequently used artificial intelligence software to edit the footage, adding offensive captions before reposting them through fake accounts. He allegedly demanded various sums of money from the victims in exchange for deleting the content and preventing its further dissemination. A criminal case has been initiated by the Main Department, and Atakishiyev has been charged under the relevant article of the Criminal Code. By court order, a preventive measure of arrest has been implemented.
This incident highlights the growing global challenge of "deepfake" technology and AI-assisted extortion. In Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has recently intensified its efforts to combat cybercrime, establishing specialized units to monitor digital threats and protect citizens' privacy rights. Legal experts in the country emphasize that the unauthorized use of AI to create defamatory content is a serious violation of both privacy laws and criminal statutes, carrying significant prison sentences upon conviction.
