Elon Musk Deepfake Promotes Crypto Scam in YouTube Hack

As a seasoned crypto investor, I can’t help but feel a sense of unease and frustration upon hearing about yet another cryptocurrency scam, this time involving the popular Australian news broadcaster – 7News. The fact that an AI-generated Elon Musk was used to lure unsuspecting viewers into depositing their hard-earned money into a fraudulent scheme is not only alarming but also disheartening.


In a startling turn of events, the YouTube channel of the widely-followed Australian news outlet, 7News, was unexpectedly seized, leading to the live broadcast of an AI-generated Elon Musk promoting a cryptocurrency scam to its massive viewer base of 1.71 million subscribers. The deceptive streams garnered substantial interest, with one raking in 60,000 views and another 45,000 before they were eventually removed.

As a researcher studying the latest trends in marketing and technology, I came across intriguing livestreams showcasing an artificial intelligence (AI) model of Elon Musk pitching an investment opportunity. The AI-Musk figure, standing before a sleek Tesla automobile, assured viewers that they could potentially double their assets by scanning a QR code and transferring funds to the presented account.

As a researcher, I’ve come across a scam message that promised to make an evening unforgettable and double one’s wealth with Tesla. After the takedown of these fraudulent streams, two new videos emerged, showcasing what appeared to be a Tesla Cybertruck launch event from 2023.

Seven’s main YouTube channel has been taken down, and the links to it now lead to error messages indicating “this video is unavailable.” A representative from Seven confirmed they are looking into the issue and collaborating with YouTube to find a solution as quickly as possible.

As a researcher studying the media industry, I’ve come across another concerning development for a specific company that has faced layoffs affecting 150 employees, among whom were three high-ranking executives. This unfortunate event unfolds against the backdrop of dwindling advertising revenues and projected decreases in commercial income from Meta.

In the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of cryptocurrency scams. Notable personalities, including billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, have found themselves embroiled in legal disputes with tech giants like Facebook due to fraudulent crypto advertisements misusing their identities.

This past week, I analyzed news reports indicating that the social media channels for renowned rock band Metallica were taken over by unauthorized users. They used these platforms to disseminate information about a fictitious crypto token named “METAL.” However, the situation was swiftly remedied when the band’s management regained control of their accounts.

Last year in 2020, notable accounts such as Elon Musk’s, Joe Biden’s, and Bill Gates’ were compromised, leading them to advertise Bitcoin scams. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has taken down over 2,500 fraudulent investment sites linked to cryptocurrency since July of the previous year.

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2024-06-27 10:49