Sextortion: The Darkest Deepfake Scams, How to Protect Yourself and Laurie Segall's Hunt for “Mr. Deepfakes”

In the U.S., the cost of cybercrime in 2025 is estimated to hit $639.2 billion— up from $452.3 billion in 2024—an alarming surge fueled in large part by advancements in AI. Today, Nicole sits down with tech journalist Laurie Segall to uncover one of the darkest AI-driven scams: a disturbing scheme where scammers generate fake nude images to extort their victims. In this conversation, Laurie breaks down the most common deepfake crimes and scams, how to spot them, and how to protect yourself. She also shares the jaw-dropping story of her investigation into a shadowy figure known as “Mr. Deepfakes,” a man she describes as one of the most dangerous people on the internet, and what happened when she tracked him down and confronted him face-to-face. Nicole and Laurie zoom out to ask even bigger questions: What does this mean for women, for democracy, and for the future of AI? Spoiler alert: we are still very much in the Wild West. Follow Laurie’s work, and her investigation into Mr. Deepfakes here .