Crypto-criminals recently seized control of Australia’s 7News YouTube channel to promote a fraudulent digital currency scheme featuring Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The incident occurred on Jun. 27, where the channel was live streaming AI-generated videos of a fake Elon Musk and urging viewers to scan a QR code to double their assets through a cryptocurrency wallet.
The hijackers went as far as rebranding the channel to resemble Tesla, complete with the 7news verification badge to deceive viewers. Interestingly, the live chatbox featured fake comments claiming substantial investments in the scam, adding to the illusion of legitimacy.
At one point, the hijacked channel ran multiple simultaneous live streams, each drawing in significant viewership. The main 7News channel has a substantial 1.71 million subscribers, although doubts remain regarding the authenticity of these numbers and whether bots were employed to boost visibility on YouTube’s trending page.
Despite the live streams being taken down and links to the 7News channel becoming inactive, another smaller YouTube channel with just over 2,400 subscribers was also hijacked to broadcast a similar fraudulent video with a surprisingly high number of viewers.
The scope of the incident highlights the ongoing trend of exploiting Elon Musk’s identity to lure unsuspecting cryptocurrency users into scams. Notably, similar incidents have occurred in the past, with scammers leveraging Musk’s persona to promote fraudulent schemes under the guise of SpaceX or other ventures tied to the tech mogul.
In response to the breach, a spokesperson from 7News acknowledged the issue and assured that they are collaborating with YouTube to resolve the situation. Additionally, the hackers targeted other channels affiliated with 7News, such as 7News Spotlight and the old Today Tonight channel, although all compromised content has since been removed.
The prevalence of such scams underscores the importance of remaining vigilant and exercising caution when encountering offers that promise extraordinary returns. It is crucial for users in the crypto space to verify the authenticity of information and scrutinize any investment opportunities linked to high-profile figures like Elon Musk to avoid falling victim to fraudulent activities.
