Is Elon Musk’s online persona a prime target for cryptocurrency con men? The latest YouTube farce features a skilfully forged livestream where Musk hosts a made-up event, hawking crypto scams to unsuspecting viewers.
But where’s the endgame for these far-fetched Elon Musk live streams swindling YouTube’s audience?
We’ve seen enough seedy cons – Hollywood celebrities and musicians in deepfakes pitching questionable products – but Elon Musk? Really?
The latest scheme saw a "Tesla" channel, complete with Elon’s endorsement, tampered with. Artfully crafted live videos of the internet billionaire, loaded with benevolent advice on crypto investment, attracted legions of fans. The catch? Clicking on embedded links catapulted wannabe investors into a rabbit hole of delusionary digital currencies.
But it isn’t a standalone episode. The ruse’s often scripted from AI-generated dialogue or generic Musk rhetoric, conveniently flexible for any occasion – be it a hypothetical Mars conquest or a blockchain breakthrough.
Crucially, scammers siphon off existing YouTube channels, hijacking subscriber bases built on trust. The added cherry on top? These scammers expertly secure YouTube channel verifications to further bolster their fake "official channels."
A recent incident involving a channel called ‘Tesla’ substantiated this disturbing trend. Initially boasting over a quarter of a million subscribers with a YouTube verification badge, it gained momentum rapidly, raking in potential scam victims within minutes. It flaunted the veritable star-power of Musk, heavily implying a Tesla-perspective.
However, the question looms: How many of these "viewers" are actual people and not preprogrammed bots tactically used to exploit YouTube’s algorithm and viral reach?
This deception has played out in various disguises. Recall the April incident when scammers aligned SpaceX and the solar eclipse event to peddle their dubious crypto ventures on YouTube.
This isn’t a fleeting tech trend, either. Back in 2017, Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak, had to sue YouTube for similar deception, underscoring the alarming continuity of this mischievous trend.
The unsettling truth? This uncensored cyber-hoax within YouTube’s digital walls isn’t going to disappear anytime soon.
🔗Click for more info: Elon Musk: Crypto rig-play and its persistent bit on YouTube
