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Apple YouTube Hack Promotes Fake Crypto Giveaway Ahead of iPhone 16 Launch

Story Highlights
  • Apple's official YouTube channel was hacked during their Glowtime event, with fake videos of Tim Cook promoting a crypto giveaway scam.

  • The scam involved a deepfake of Cook encouraging viewers to send crypto for doubling.

  • The incident highlights the increasingly elaborate nature of crypto scams.

Just before Appleโ€™s big Glowtime event on September 9, 2024, the companyโ€™s official YouTube channel was hacked. Scammers took over the site and flooded it with fake videos featuring an impersonator of Appleโ€™s CEO, Tim Cook, promoting a phony cryptocurrency giveaway.

The fraudulent live stream showed someone pretending to be Cook, urging viewers to send Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, or Tether to a provided address, promising that their contributions would be doubled. Within 30 minutes, the stream attracted over a million viewers, including many bots, which made the scam appear more convincing.

Deceiving the Public

The scam claimed that the giveaway would speed up cryptocurrency adoption and create a fairer financial system. Viewers were also encouraged to scan a QR code on their phones to join the supposed โ€˜double-your-moneyโ€™ scheme.

Apple Responds Quickly

This scam hit just as Apple was gearing up for the iPhone 16 release, which was already creating a lot of excitement. Apple acted quickly, removing the fake streams and blocking the scammers on YouTube.

This incident shows how sophisticated crypto scams have become. Scammers are now using deepfake technology to impersonate well-known figures like Tim Cook and Elon Musk to trick people. They also took advantage of the iPhone release to promote Dogecoin (DOGE), fooling people into sending DOGE under the false promise of a giveaway aimed at making the world fairer.

A Wake-Up Call

The use of artificial intelligence and social engineering in these scams is a growing concern. The 2024 โ€œGlobal Risks Reportโ€ by the World Economic Forum warns that threats from AI are increasing. This case is a clear reminder of the dangers that users face online.

Read Also: Unstoppable Domains Targeted in Phishing Hoax; Ripple CTO Issues Scam Alert

The future of tech is bright, but the dangers are real. Be prepared and stay ahead of the curve.

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