AI-Generated Deepfake Elon Musk Promotes Crypto Scam on YouTube Live
An astonishing deepfake video featuring Elon Musk was broadcasted live on YouTube, promoting a fraudulent cryptocurrency giveaway and leading unsuspecting viewers to a dubious website.
The video, which was later removed, played for a duration of five hours on Sunday and replicated a segment from a Tesla event.
According to a report by Engadget, the video featured an AI-generated version of Elon Musk’s voice, encouraging viewers to visit a specific website. He instructed cryptocurrency investors to deposit Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin in order to participate in a giveaway.
The video promised that the website would automatically return double the amount of cryptocurrency deposited.
At one point, the video garnered over 30,000 viewers, propelling it to the top of YouTube’s Live Now recommendations.
The cryptocurrency community on X issued warnings to users, urging caution regarding this YouTube scam. One user pointed out that the convincing nature of the scam was a result of advancements in artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
“Deepfakes, which are AI-generated videos capable of flawlessly replacing one person’s likeness with another, demonstrate just how easily visual and audio media can be manipulated,” the user explained.
Another user called on the YouTube Team to take action against this “serious crime.” “This was a fake/deepfake video with the intention of scamming people out of their cryptocurrency,” the user emphasized.
In a cybersecurity report published last month, it was revealed that more than 35 YouTube channels live-streamed a deepfake video of Elon Musk. These videos promoted a cryptocurrency scam with promises of high returns, targeting space enthusiasts eagerly waiting for the SpaceX starship rocket launch.
Unfortunately, crypto scams and fake promotions aimed at Musk’s followers on social media have been a persistent issue over the years. In October 2023, another deepfake video of Elon Musk emerged, promising a 30% return on deposits. Users were encouraged to invest in the BitVex trading platform.
It’s worth noting that cryptocurrency scam promotions are not limited to Elon Musk. On Sunday, rapper 50 Cent’s X account was hacked to facilitate a multimillion-dollar memecoin rug pull. Interestingly, the scammer behind the hack managed to make $3,000,000 in just 30 minutes.
“My Twitter & Thisis 50.com was hacked. I have no association with this Crypto,” the rapper clarified on Instagram. “Twitter worked quickly to regain control of my account. Whoever did this made $3,000,000 in 30 minutes.”
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