Crypto scammers use deepfake Tim Cook in iPhone 16 launch scheme

During Apple's iPhone 16 launch event, scammers took advantage of the hype by using deepfake technology to impersonate Apple CEO Tim Cook in livestreams that promoted cryptocurrency scams. 

The fraudulent videos appeared on YouTube, urging viewers to send Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC), Ether (CRYPTO:ETH), Tether (CRYPTO:USDT), or Dogecoin (CRYPTO:DOGE) to a wallet address, promising to "double your money" in return. 

In one of the scam streams, an AI-generated deepfake of Cook said, "Once you complete your deposit, the system will automatically process it and send back double the amount of the cryptocurrency you deposited." 

This is a well-known scam tactic where victims are falsely promised a doubled return on their cryptocurrency deposits, but the scammers keep the funds. 

One of these deceptive streams was hosted on a YouTube channel that mimicked “Apple US,” even featuring a legitimate-looking verification tick to boost its credibility. 

Screenshots shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed some of these scam streams garnered hundreds of thousands of views. 

However, it is likely that many of these views were from bots designed to give the streams an appearance of legitimacy. 

YouTube's support team acknowledged the issue in a Sept. 9 post on X, stating, "Thanks for bringing this to our attention. If you see something suspicious, report it using our official reporting tool." 

The platform confirmed that the scam videos have since been removed, and the associated accounts have been shut down. 

Despite these actions, YouTube did not immediately provide additional comments on the livestream scams. 

Deepfake scams have become increasingly bold, targeting high-profile figures and events. 

In June, Australian broadcaster Seven's YouTube news channel was hijacked by scammers who posted a deepfake of Elon Musk promoting a crypto scheme. 

Similar deepfakes of Musk also appeared around the launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. 

Concerns over AI-generated content have risen sharply in recent years. 

The World Economic Forum, in its 2024 "Global Risks Report," warned about the "possible adverse outcomes of AI technologies," highlighting the increasing urgency to address the misuse of deepfakes and other AI-driven scams.