Recently, the YouTube channel of Australia’s prominent broadcaster, 7News, fell victim to crypto scammers who hijacked it to promote fraudulent activities using deep fake technology. Here are the key details of the incident:
- Hijacking Incident: The YouTube channel of 7News, operated by the Seven Network, was compromised by crypto scammers who rebranded it to resemble Tesla’s official channel. They streamed videos featuring a deep fake version of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and a well-known figure in the tech industry.
- Content of Scam: The deep fake Elon Musk in the videos was promoting a common crypto scam tactic where viewers were promised to double their crypto investments. This type of scam typically involves asking viewers to send cryptocurrency to a specified wallet address, with the false promise of receiving double the amount in return.
- Viewership and Response: At the time of the incident, the livestreams on the hijacked channel attracted approximately 150,000 viewers. It’s unclear how many of these viewers were legitimate users versus bots potentially employed to inflate viewership numbers.
- Response from Seven Network and YouTube: A spokesperson from Seven Network acknowledged the issue, stating they were aware that some of their YouTube channels were not operating normally. They assured the public that they were investigating the matter and working with YouTube to resolve it promptly.
- YouTube’s Actions: Upon being alerted by Seven Network, YouTube took immediate steps to investigate and secure the compromised accounts. This included stopping the unauthorized livestreams and ensuring the safety of the affected channels.
- Financial Impact: The scammers’ website associated with the incident requested donations in Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Dogecoin (DOGE). The addresses provided on the site showed a total balance of just over $11,000 in cryptocurrency.
- Previous Instances: Similar scams involving deep fake Elon Musk videos have occurred before, with scammers exploiting the public figure’s popularity to deceive users into participating in fraudulent schemes.
- Context: The hijacking of 7News’ YouTube channel coincided with reports from other media outlets about significant job cuts within Seven West Media, the parent company of Seven Network, which may have compounded the impact of the incident.
In summary, the hijacking of 7News’ YouTube channel by crypto scammers underscores the ongoing challenges platforms face in combating fraudulent activities, particularly those exploiting deep fake technology to deceive viewers. The swift response from both Seven Network and YouTube highlights the importance of robust security measures and vigilance in maintaining the integrity of digital platforms.
