As a seasoned researcher with years of experience in the digital landscape, I can’t help but feel a mix of disbelief and frustration when I come across incidents like the recent deepfake scam involving Apple CEO Tim Cook. It’s 2024, and we’re still grappling with the same old scams, albeit dressed up in newer, more convincing attire thanks to advancements in AI technology.
Over 350,000 individuals initially watched a video featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook endorsing a bogus cryptocurrency scheme, unaware that the video was actually a deepfake produced through artificial intelligence technology.
On September 9th, a significant day for tech titan Apple, countless individuals worldwide eagerly anticipated the “Glowtime” event where the latest iPhone model would be unveiled. Regrettably, scammers seized this moment to broadcast several live streams peddling the common double-your-cryptocurrency swindle.
📣 Possible Breaking News! 📣
It appears the Apple US YouTube channel might have been hacked. A falsified AI video of Tim Cook is streaming, allegedly asking for Bitcoin. #AppleEvent 😱
— Abhishek Bhatnagar (@abhishek) September 9, 2024
Now deleted, one of the streams garnered over 355,000 people at one point where an AI-altered old Tim Cook interview was used to mislead people to send various cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to a wallet address controlled by the scammers.Â
During the live broadcast, a voice simulated from AI, resembling Cook, characterized the fraudulent plan as a “perfect chance for novices to jump in and get acquainted with the realm of digital currencies.
On a YouTube account bearing the verified checkmark, another live stream was aired under the name “Apple US”, presumably imitating the tech giant’s official channel. Simultaneously, other live streams originated from accounts with no connection to technology whatsoever.
Each video showcased a QR code, scanning which would lead users to a fraudulent site designed to deceive them. At the moment of composition, one such deceitful website remained active, with its homepage displaying several wallet addresses for various digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Tether (USDT).
To enhance credibility, the site included a simulated transaction history that appeared to be real-time updates, creating an illusion of actual money transfers taking place.
After multiple users flagged suspicious live streams as potential scams, YouTube’s support team confirmed the issue and encouraged users to submit reports via YouTube’s reporting system. Subsequently, these problematic videos were taken down from the site.
Scammers continue to misuse YouTube
As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that YouTube has unfortunately become a hotspot for deepfake scammers. Recently, during the solar eclipse on April 8, fraudsters impersonated Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. They manipulated various YouTube channels to mimic SpaceX, trying to deceive unsuspecting viewers with a similar scam.
Despite YouTube remaining silent on the issue, it encountered a legal battle in 2020 when Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, along with 18 others, filed a lawsuit against YouTube. The lawsuit aimed to remove fraudulent activities that mimicked them and promoted deceptive Bitcoin giveaways.
Based on a report published in June 2024 by Bitget, there’s been a significant increase of 245% in deepfake scams this year, resulting in approximately $80 billion in losses. This concerning rise has prompted regulatory action, with a bill under consideration that would mandate AI providers such as OpenAI to include source information in all AI-created content. The intention is to improve transparency and accountability.
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2024-09-10 10:00