FBI and NCAA Warn Student-Athletes About Cyber-Enabled Sexual Exploitation Schemes

Washington, D.C. — August 10, 2026 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have announced a joint initiative warning student-athletes about cyber-enabled sexual exploitation schemes designed to obtain, threaten to distribute, or sell private images. The initiative is intended to help athletes recognize common tactics, protect their accounts, preserve evidence, and reach established reporting resources before an offender can cause further harm.

The FBI has determined that student-athletes are frequently targeted because their public visibility can provide offenders with greater access and perceived leverage. Name, Image and Likeness activity may expand an athlete’s online presence beyond the traditional boundaries of a school or athletic program, exposing personal accounts, promotional profiles, professional contacts, public schedules, and other information to a wider audience. Their standing within schools and surrounding communities can also intensify the fear of embarrassment, reputational damage, lost opportunities, or public exposure that offenders attempt to exploit.

These schemes may begin with communications that appear routine or urgent. The FBI identified unsolicited text messages claiming that an account will be disabled unless the recipient provides a verification code. Another warning sign involves unsolicited emails reporting a new account login and directing the recipient to an embedded password-reset link. Messages of this nature are designed to create pressure, weaken a person’s judgment, and obtain the credentials or temporary codes needed to access an account.

A verification code, temporary password, or PIN reset code can provide an offender with the final piece of information needed to bypass an account’s security. The FBI advises that a legitimate platform or service will not ask an account holder to surrender these codes. Student-athletes receiving an unexpected security notification should avoid interacting with links contained in the message and access the platform through its established application or official website to review the account directly.

The warning also addresses the importance of stronger passwords and PINs. Athletes should avoid credentials containing names, birth dates, team numbers, school information, or other details that can be discovered through public profiles and online activity. Public recognition can give an offender access to a larger collection of personal information, making predictable credentials particularly dangerous. Each account should be protected with credentials that are not derived from publicly available details.

“This initiative is about making sure student-athletes, and anyone who may become a target, know they are not alone and that help is available,” FBI Operation Director Jose Perez said. Perez stated that the FBI’s work with the NCAA allows the agencies to reach students directly with reporting tools and resources that can assist them before an incident occurs and after victimization has taken place.

NCAA Vice President for Enforcement Jon Duncan said the initiative is intended to reduce the barriers that may prevent targeted athletes from seeking assistance. Duncan emphasized the NCAA’s commitment to helping prevent these crimes, support affected individuals, and assist efforts to secure justice when student-athletes are victimized.

The FBI and NCAA are asking coaches, compliance personnel, and athletic department leaders to help distribute the warning throughout college athletic programs. These individuals may be among the first trusted adults approached by an athlete facing threats, coercion, account compromise, or the unauthorized possession of private images. Providing reporting information in advance can help athletic programs respond with preparation instead of forcing a distressed athlete to search for assistance during an active crisis.

A student-athlete who believes an offender has made contact should not click suspicious links, open unknown documents, provide proof of identity, send money, or comply with other demands. The individual should end communication with the offender and preserve all related messages, account names, images, payment demands, and other available evidence. Deleting communications may remove information that investigators could use to document the conduct, identify connected accounts, or examine the offender’s methods.

The FBI warned that continued communication and payment do not reliably prevent an offender from distributing private material. Compliance can lead to further demands because the offender may interpret a payment or response as evidence that continued pressure will succeed. Refusing payment does not guarantee that the threat will end, but sending money cannot be treated as a dependable method of protecting the material or stopping continued exploitation.

Victims may experience fear over public exposure, damage to athletic opportunities, school relationships, sponsorship activity, or their standing within the community. The FBI and NCAA initiative stresses that targeted athletes are not alone and that assistance remains available. Responsibility belongs to the offender who obtained, attempted to obtain, threatened to distribute, or distributed private content without consent.

Anyone who believes they have been targeted should report the incident without delay. Reports involving non-consensual intimate images can be submitted through ncii.ic3.gov. Information can also be reported to the FBI through tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Coaches, compliance staff, and athletic department leaders are being asked to ensure that student-athletes receive this information before an incident occurs and know where to turn if an exploitation attempt begins.

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