The FBI has issued a new public service announcement warning that cybercriminals are stealing images from social media accounts and altering them. These altered photos are then used as fake "proof of life" claims in virtual kidnapping scams.

According to the FBI's warning, the scams are initiated via text message and don't involve any actual abductions. Instead, the cybercriminals use the manipulated photos and publicly available information to convince victims that a loved one is in danger.

"Criminal actors typically will contact their victims through text message claiming they have kidnapped their loved one and demand a ransom be paid for their release," the federal agency warned.

As part of the scam, the cybercriminals threaten significant violence against the alleged kidnappee if a

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