Recently, the YouTube channel of Australia’s Seven Network, known as 7News, fell victim to crypto scammers who hijacked it to broadcast deepfake videos of Elon Musk promoting a cryptocurrency scam. The fraudulent videos, portraying Musk as announcing a scheme to double cryptocurrency investments sent to specified addresses, attracted significant viewership, including suspicions of artificial inflation through bot activity.
The hijacking incident involved rebranding the 7News channel to mimic Tesla’s branding, despite broken links, the channel retained its verification tick, lending credibility to the scam. Seven Network promptly responded to the breach, acknowledging the abnormality and initiating collaboration with YouTube to rectify the situation swiftly.
YouTube, upon notification by 7News, promptly launched an investigation and implemented measures to secure the compromised accounts, including halting unauthorized live streams. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges platforms face in combating deepfake content and cryptocurrency scams, particularly those leveraging prominent figures like Elon Musk for credibility and appeal.
Beyond this instance, Elon Musk’s likeness has been a frequent target for scammers, with previous incidents involving fake livestreams and deceptive claims coinciding with significant events like SpaceX launches. The broader implications highlight the need for enhanced security measures and public awareness to mitigate the risks associated with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats targeting media and social platforms.
