Deep Fake Crypto Scams
Essential information
- Published
- 20/09/2024 11:11
- Modified
- 20/09/2024 11:36
- Tags
- 2024-09-20 cryptocurrency deep fake presidential debate
- Related entities
- 24 observables, 7 techniques (mitre), 1 others
Description
Cybercriminals exploited the U.S. presidential debate to launch a cryptocurrency scam using deep fake videos. The scam featured fake streams on hijacked YouTube channels, claiming to show Elon Musk and Donald Trump debating Kamala Harris. The videos directed viewers to invest in cryptocurrency during the event. The campaign used well-established YouTube accounts, QR codes linked to deceptive domains, and AI-generated content to lure victims. Multiple researchers reported on this scam, which leveraged current events to boost search rankings. The scammers used 'stream-jacking' to rebrand victim channels as Tesla-related, then posted pre-recorded 'livestreams' with inflated view counts. Scam sites used anti-bot measures and urged victims to link their crypto wallets, with some wallets accumulating significant funds.