OnlyFans creators are reporting a surge in AI-generated imposter accounts that use deepfake videos and cloned voices to steal income and endanger creators.
For creators on OnlyFans, the threat has evolved from simple stolen photos to ultra-realistic deepfakes that mimic their exact voice, clothing, and mannerisms to deceive followers.
Deepfake Impersonators and the Erosion of Consent
Adult content creator Elaina St. James discovered a deepfake of herself on TikTok that utilized a professional photo from a book shoot. According to USA Today, the AI-generated video mimicked her voice and encouraged viewers to follow a fake account to see the real me
.
While the video was convincing at a glance, St. James noted technical glitches typical of AI, such as distorted teeth, sparse blinking, and eyebrows that remained stationary while the mouth and head moved. St. James, who has made more than $1.5 million since joining the platform in April 2021, described the experience as jarring.
“Hey, it’s me, Elaina”
Elaina St. James, OnlyFans creator
Other creators have faced more aggressive alterations. Shaghana Doyle reported that some sites used AI to change her appearance into a blonde white woman while retaining her original voice and body. Doyle characterized these actions as an attack on women
, noting that women account for 90% of victims involving the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery.
Financial Loss and the “Love Bombing” Pipeline
These AI tools are often the front end of sophisticated financial scams. Jessieanna Campbell told USA Today that fans are frequently directed from TikTok to Snapchat, where scammers send CashApp links for exclusive content
before blocking the user. Campbell has received numerous messages from fans asking why she took $150 and blocked them.
Roberto Marini, an Italian man in his 30s, was targeted by a scammer posing as “Hannah,” who used stolen images of adult star Janessa Brazil. According to the BBC, the scammer spent months grooming Marini with loving messages and requests for money to help sick relatives or fix a broken phone.
Marini eventually sent a total of $250,000 (£207,500) over four years, draining his savings and taking out loans. Despite confirming via email in 2016 that he was talking to an imposter, Marini remained ensnared by the scammers for years.
Organized Crime Networks and “Sakawa Boys”
These operations are rarely the work of lone actors. Dr Aunshul Rege, a criminal justice expert from Philadelphia, explains that these scams are typically run by organized criminal networks that use team-based grooming and practical how-to manuals to avoid exposure, such as scripts for avoiding phone calls.
Dr Rege identifies major hubs for these networks in Turkey, China, UAE, UK, Nigeria, and Ghana. In Accra, Ghana, a group known as the Sakawa Boys
operates these schemes. One individual identified as “Ofa” admitted that while the administrative work of keeping track of lies is time-consuming and makes him feel bad
, he had made over $50,000 (£41,500) from the work.
Physical Safety Risks and Takedown Failures
The danger extends beyond financial loss. Shaghana Doyle reported that fans misled by imposter accounts have shown up at her home, leading her to feel unsafe leaving her house alone. The risk is amplified when victims develop delusional relationships with AI personas, which Doyle warns could lead to violent “snapping” if the real person ignores them in person.
Recourse for creators is often limited. While influencers use the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for takedowns, AI content is often hosted on Russian servers, making removal difficult.
“As a sex worker, I know I’ve already signed up to sell videos and photos of myself in certain ways. But that is the way that I choose to take that photo”
Shaghana Doyle
The Scale of Digital Forgery Fraud
This trend is part of a wider surge in digital-forgery fraud, which includes cloned voices and altered ID documents. The scale of the problem is reflected in the 2025 Identity Fraud Report from Entrust, which found that deepfake fraud attempts occurred roughly every 5 minutes in 2024.
The result is a system where the “cost” of the scam is borne by the creators through safety threats and the fans through massive financial depletion, while the organized networks in places like Ghana and the UAE reap the rewards.
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