In a brazen display of technological deception, cryptocurrency scammers hijacked Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 16 launch event with a series of deepfake videos featuring CEO Tim Cook. These fraudulent livestreams, which flooded YouTube on September 9, coincided with Apple’s official “Glowtime” event and attempted to lure viewers into a classic “double-your-money” cryptocurrency scam.
The AI-generated videos showcased a convincing facsimile of Tim Cook urging viewers to send popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Dogecoin to a designated wallet address. The deepfake Cook promised that Apple would return double the amount of any deposit made. However, this was merely a ruse to deceive unsuspecting victims into parting with their digital assets.
Some of these fraudulent streams garnered hundreds of thousands of views, though many were likely bot-generated to lend an air of legitimacy to the scam. YouTube’s support team acknowledged the issue and encouraged users to report these videos through official channels. While the platform has since removed the offending content and closed associated accounts, the incident underscores the growing sophistication of AI-powered scams targeting high-profile events and individuals.
This latest deepfake scam is part of a troubling trend that has seen similar incidents involving other tech luminaries like Elon Musk. As AI technology continues to advance, the line between reality and fabrication becomes increasingly blurred, posing significant challenges for platforms, companies, and consumers alike. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for heightened vigilance and improved security measures in the face of evolving cyber threats.
