In a striking example of modern cybercrime, the recent launch event of Apple’s eagerly awaited iPhone 16 on September 9, 2024, was marred by a sophisticated deepfake scam. Cybercriminals capitalized on the immense attention surrounding Apple’s “Glowtime” event, which showcased the latest iPhones and other cutting-edge products, by inundating YouTube with deceptive deepfake videos featuring a seemingly authentic Tim Cook promoting fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.

These AI-generated videos depicted a lifelike version of Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, enticing viewers into a “double-your-money” cryptocurrency scam. In these fake livestreams, the artificial Cook urged the audience to send various types of cryptocurrencies—such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Dogecoin—to a specified “contribution address,” promising that the system would automatically double their deposits and return them.

The cybercriminals strategically timed these fraudulent streams to coincide with Apple’s official product launch, aiming to exploit the high viewer traffic. Some of these deceptive streams were hosted on YouTube channels meticulously crafted to appear as legitimate Apple accounts, complete with verification badges to enhance their credibility. Notably, one channel named “Apple US” featured the familiar checkmark associated with verified accounts.

These scam videos managed to attract substantial attention, reportedly garnering hundreds of thousands of views. However, many of these views were likely inflated by automated bots to create an illusion of legitimacy and draw in real viewers. The scale of this deception underscores the challenges faced by social media platforms in policing such sophisticated scams.

YouTube’s support team quickly acknowledged the scam on the day of the event, urging users to report suspicious content using the platform’s official reporting tool. In response, YouTube acted swiftly to remove the fraudulent videos and terminate the associated accounts. Despite these efforts, the incident highlights the ongoing struggle to combat sophisticated online scams effectively.

This episode is part of a broader trend of cryptocurrency scams targeting high-profile individuals and events. In June 2024, for instance, a major Australian broadcaster’s YouTube news channel was hijacked by crypto scammers who posted deepfake videos of Elon Musk discussing cryptocurrency investments. Similarly, around the same period, YouTube saw a surge of deepfake videos featuring Musk promoting fraudulent schemes during a SpaceX rocket launch.

The rising prevalence of such scams raises significant concerns about the misuse of AI-generated content. The World Economic Forum’s 2024 “Global Risks Report” emphasized the potential dangers posed by AI technologies, highlighting the urgent need for heightened vigilance and enhanced security measures.

As deepfake technology becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, it presents formidable challenges for platforms like YouTube in detecting and preventing these scams. The incident during Apple’s iPhone 16 launch serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of user awareness and robust verification processes in combating misinformation and fraud online.

While YouTube and other platforms continue to evolve their strategies to tackle these scams, users are strongly advised to remain cautious and skeptical of any offers that appear too good to be true, particularly those involving cryptocurrency transactions.