Cryptocurrency scammers attempted to exploit the Apple LIVE YouTube channel by launching a fake livestream on behalf of the company to lure viewers into a crypto asset scam.
According to media reports, tens of thousands of YouTubers watched a fake video in which scammers used social engineering techniques to draw attention to a cryptocurrency scheme. So, allegedly live on the Apple channel, viewers were shown an old interview with CEO Tim Cook, conducted by CNN in 2018.
Since the “live stream” took place just a few hours after the announcement of the iPhone 14, the scammers managed to get the video to the top positions in searches using a set of keywords related to Apple. For some viewers who were actively interested in the Apple theme, it was recommended for viewing on the home page.
For those who have already come across cryptocurrency scams on YouTube, there were enough signs that something fishy was going on. Therefore, the fake broadcast was most likely an attempt to deceive an inexperienced user who heard that Apple had some important event, but did not know what exactly happened.
So, the broadcast had a strange name – “Apple Event Live. Apple CEO Tim Cook: Apple and the Metaverse in 2022. In the edited video, the CNN ticker was covered with the text “Apple Crypto Event 2022”, the bitcoin and ether logos were added, as well as the bold text “breaking news”. When following a link purportedly to an Apple LIVE page, the URL had nothing to do with Apple.
YouTube did not respond to incoming requests from journalists, but shortly after the event, the broadcast was removed for violating the terms of service.
Recall that earlier the official channel of the South Korean government on YouTube was hacked and renamed “SpaceX Invest”, and more than half a million of its subscribers became viewers of the broadcast with the participation of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who talks about the benefits of investing in cryptocurrencies.
Source: Bits
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