Cybercriminals are capitalizing on the assassination attempt on President Trump by using hijacked YouTube channels with deepfake videos of Elon Musk to lure victims into a cryptocurrency doubling scam. Bitdefender Labs has uncovered the malicious domains and is warning users to be careful.
Cybercriminals and cryptocurrency scammers are capitalizing on the recent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump to lure unsuspecting victims into a new cryptocurrency doubling scheme.
The scam, detected by researchers at Bitdefender Labs, involves hijacking a YouTube channel to stream a deepfake video of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, promising to reveal insights into attacks on President Trump.
The hijacked channels, some of which boast millions of subscribers, have had their original content removed and their names changed to include references to Tesla and Donald Trump Jr.
A screenshot from one of the hacked YouTube channels, which compromised 1.2 million Tesla accounts (Screenshot: Bitdefender)
The video features a looping deepfake of Musk encouraging viewers to scan QR codes embedded in the video to enter a cryptocurrency giveaway. These codes direct users to scam sites that resemble legitimate Tesla domains or link Musk to Trump.
The descriptions of the hijacked channels further the scam, claiming that Musk plans to donate heavily to the Trump presidential campaign. One description reads: “Elon Musk will be giving approximately $45 million per month to a new political committee supporting former US President Donald Trump as part of his presidential campaign.”
According to a Bitdefender report shared with Hackread.com ahead of publication on Wednesday, researchers have identified five malicious domains linked to this ongoing campaign, all of which have been detected and blocked by anti-phishing and anti-scam filtering systems.
Deepfake of Elon Musk used in scam (Screenshot: Bitdefender)
To avoid falling victim to such scams, users are advised to exercise caution when encountering videos with clickbait titles related to Tesla or Trump attacks, double-check messages promising double returns on crypto investments, and avoid scanning QR codes on YouTube videos advertising crypto giveaways.
Additionally, users should check YouTube channels promoting cryptocurrency giveaways for suspicious activity, such as missing or deleted videos or blocked comment sections, and report any suspicious activity to the platform or the relevant authorities. It is also highly recommended to employ a comprehensive security solution capable of blocking phishing attempts and fraudulent links.
As cybercriminals continue to adapt and exploit current events to deceive unsuspecting individuals, users must remain vigilant and adhere to cybersecurity best practices to protect their digital assets and personal information.
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