Crypto Scammers Target Victims Via Deepfake Apple Livestreams

Deepfake Scams Exploit Apple Event Livestreams

On September 9, Apple's highly anticipated event witnessed the unveiling of the iPhone 16 models. YouTube was saturated with livestreams that utilized deepfake technology to impersonate Apple CEO Tim Cook. These fraudulent streams were part of a cryptocurrency scam orchestrating to deceive viewers.

These malicious streams featured an AI-generated version of Tim Cook urging viewers to transfer cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, Dogecoin) to a specified "contribution address." The promise was a double-return on the deposited amount. The fabricated Cook claimed, "Once you complete your deposit, the system will automatically process it and send back double the amount of the cryptocurrency you deposited." However, this scheme is known as a "double-your-money" scam, where perpetrators keep the funds and leave contributors with nothing.

The scam streams shrewdly coincided with Apple's authentic "Glowtime" event, lending a facade of credibility to the fraud. One such stream was hosted on a YouTube channel deceptively named "Apple US," even featuring a genuine verification tick to further mislead viewers. Shared videos and screenshots on indicated that some of these fraudulent streams garnered hundreds of thousands of views, although it is suspected that many were from bots created to enhance the perception of legitimacy.

YouTube's support team recognized the issue and encouraged users to report the scam through its official reporting tool. Subsequently, the fraudulent videos were removed, and the linked accounts were deactivated.

This incident highlights the increasing sophistication of scammers utilizing deepfake technology to craft convincing replicas of influential figures to execute scams. Similar occurrences have been reported, including the hijacking of the Australian broadcaster Seven's YouTube news channel by a deepfake Elon Musk promoting cryptocurrency scams. These events demonstrate the growing audacity and finesse of online fraudsters in exploiting digital platforms and advanced technologies for fraudulent activities.