Australian broadcaster Seven Network’s YouTube channel, 7News, fell victim to crypto scammers who hijacked the channel and livestreamed videos featuring a deep fake Elon Musk promoting cryptocurrency scams. The hacked channel garnered hundreds of thousands of views before the issue was addressed.
The Scam Unveiled
The scammers rebranded the 7News YouTube channel to resemble Tesla’s official channel, featuring an AI-generated fake of Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk. The deep fake Musk promoted a common “double-your-money” scam, claiming that anyone who sent cryptocurrency to a specified address would receive double the amount in return.
Significant Viewership During the Scam
At the peak of the scam, approximately 150,000 viewers were watching three separate livestreams showing the fake Musk on the 7News channel. It remains unclear how many of these viewers were real and how many were bots used to artificially inflate viewership numbers. Despite the hijacking, the channel still displayed 7News’ verification tick, adding an illusion of authenticity.
Response from Seven Network
A spokesperson from Seven Network informed The Sydney Morning Herald that the company was aware of the issue. “Seven is investigating and working with YouTube to resolve the situation as soon as possible,” the spokesperson stated. Meanwhile, links to the 7News YouTube channel were broken, though the verification tick remained visible on the hijacked channel.
Scammers’ Tactics and Gains
The scammers directed viewers to a website that requested Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and Dogecoin. The cryptocurrency addresses listed on the site held just over $11,000 in total. Scammers frequently use Musk’s likeness due to his popularity and influence in the tech and crypto communities.
Previous Incidents and Wider Impact
This incident is not isolated. Earlier this month, over 35 YouTube livestreams featured fake Musks promoting similar double-your-money scams timed with the launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. In another case, Hong Kong’s securities regulator shut down a firm that used AI-generated videos of Musk to falsely claim he had developed technology for their supposed AI crypto trading service.
Protecting Against Future Scams
This incident underscores the importance of vigilance and skepticism towards online promotions and livestreams, especially those promising unrealistic returns. Users are advised to verify the authenticity of channels and individuals before engaging in any financial transactions.
