Apple iPhone Launch Targeted by Crypto Scammers with Fake Tim Cook Livestreams

• Scammers used deepfake technology to impersonate Tim Cook during Apple’s iPhone launch, promoting crypto scams on YouTube.
• Fake livestreams promised to double users’ crypto deposits, coinciding with Apple’s official Glowtime event.
• YouTube removed the fraudulent videos and accounts, urging users to report such scams via the platform’s official reporting tool.

On September 9, scammers flooded YouTube with deepfake videos of Apple CEO Tim Cook. These fake streams aired during Apple’s iPhone 16 series official launch event. Scammers used advanced AI to mimic Cook’s appearance and voice. They lured viewers into sending cryptocurrency to fraudulent addresses.

The scam worked by falsely promising viewers that Apple would double their cryptocurrency deposits. In the fake stream, the AI-generated Tim Cook urged viewers to send Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, or Dogecoin to a specific address. 

They claimed Apple would return double the amount. One of the livestreams, labeled as Apple US, even had a legitimate verification tick. This made it harder for viewers to tell it apart from the official event.

Scam Streams Garner Views with Bot Support

Some of the fake live streams managed to collect hundreds of thousands of views. However, many of these views were likely generated by bots to give the streams a sense of legitimacy. 

The fraudulent videos coincided with Apple’s major Glowtime event, which was streamed live on YouTube. This strategic timing further misled unsuspecting viewers into believing that the fake Tim Cook was part of the actual event.

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YouTube’s Response to the Scam

YouTube responded to the scam by urging users to report the videos. In a post on X, YouTube’s support team addressed the issue and encouraged users to use the platform’s official reporting tool. As of now, the scam videos have been taken down, and the associated accounts have been removed from the platform. 

Increasing Concerns over AI-Generated Scams

The rise of deepfake technology has led to an increase in sophisticated online scams. These scams target high-profile individuals and major events, exploiting the trust users place in official streams. This incident marks the latest in a series of AI-driven frauds, with previous targets including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other notable figures.