Deepfake Scandal Involving Tim Cook! Cryptocurrency Scam Under the Guise of Apple

Scandal with Tim Cook starring in a deepfake

Over 350,000 people were deceived by a deepfake featuring the Apple CEO, Tim Cook, promoting a cryptocurrency scam. The incident took place during „Glowtime,” an Apple tech-giant event held on September 9. Scammers took advantage of the situation by live-streaming promotions for cryptocurrency doubling scams.

Shocking numbers and operation methods

The now-deleted stream reached over 355,000 viewers who were misled by altered artificial intelligence posing as an old conversation with Tim Cook. The scammers encouraged viewers to send various cryptocurrencies to a wallet controlled by them. Furthermore, the scam was advertised on a verified YouTube channel impersonating Apple.

All videos contained a QR code redirecting users to a malicious website designed for fraud. On this website, a fake transaction history appeared to further persuade users to participate in the scheme.

The growing issue of deepfakes

The scammers managed to remove the videos from the YouTube platform after many users reported the fraudulent live streams. According to a report from June 2024, deepfake frauds had increased by 245% in a year, with victims losing around $80 billion.

Solution proposal for the problem

A bill project suggests that artificial intelligence providers should require users to provide information on the origins of all AI-generated content to enhance transparency and accountability. Such actions aim to combat the increasing threats related to the exploitation of deepfakes for fraud and online manipulation.

Deepfake is becoming a serious issue that both internet users and legislators must confront. The security and reliability of information are at stake, demanding swift measures to limit the consequences of this phenomenon.