A five-hour YouTube Dwell broadcast that includes a deepfake of Elon Musk promoted a cryptocurrency rip-off in the present day, persevering with a latest pattern of comparable fraudulent streams.
Based on a June 23 Engadget report, the now-removed video purported to point out a reside Tesla occasion, utilizing an AI-generated model of Musk’s voice to lure viewers to a web site. The pretend Musk urged viewers to deposit Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) or Dogecoin (DOGE) for a supposed giveaway, promising to “robotically ship again double the quantity.”
The stream attracted over 30,000 viewers at its peak, although bot inflation can’t be dominated out. It topped YouTube’s Dwell Now suggestions. The channel, @elon.teslastream, bore the Official Artist Channel verification badge, suggesting a attainable account compromise.
YouTube eliminated each the video and channel after Engadget’s inquiry to Google. This incident is a part of a latest surge in Elon Musk deepfake scams, sometimes impersonating his firms.
The video was titled “Tesla’s [sic] unveils a masterpiece: The Tesla that may change the automotive business perpetually.” Earlier in June, Cointelegraph reported on 35 accounts posing as SpaceX working comparable scams in the course of the Starship launch.
An ongoing pattern
April noticed scammers trying to capitalize on eclipse enthusiasm utilizing the identical tactic, as reported by Mashable. Cryptocurrency scams focusing on Musk’s followers on social media have been an ongoing challenge, as have these involving celebrities typically.
Not too long ago, 50 Cent’s social media accounts were hacked to advertise a pump-and-dump scheme. Tesla’s CEO is especially well-liked as a goal for movie star pretend rip-off promotion given his relevance to the cryptocurrency house.
Musk’s relevancy to crypto primarily stems from his influential social media presence and his firms’ involvement with digital currencies. Because the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk’s public statements about cryptocurrencies, notably Bitcoin and Dogecoin, have regularly precipitated important market actions.