Elon Musk crypto scam seizes Channel Seven's official YouTube channel

In an age where technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, the internet has become a double-edged sword, offering both incredible opportunities and significant risks.

Many of our members have embraced the digital era, enjoying streaming services and staying informed through online news channels.

However, it's crucial to stay vigilant as the online world can sometimes be a wild west of scams and frauds.

The latest victim of this digital dichotomy is none other than one of Australia's most trusted broadcasters, whose YouTube channels were recently compromised in a brazen cyber-attack.


Unidentified scammers hijacked Channel Seven's YouTube channels, replacing their usual content with AI-generated footage of Elon Musk promoting a cryptocurrency scam.

The fake footage enticed viewers to deposit cryptocurrencies into a specified account with the false promise that their investment would be doubled and returned.

This scam preyed on Elon Musk's credibility—an entrepreneur whose cryptocurrency and technology ventures have garnered a significant following.


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Channel Seven's YouTube channel became an unknowing host to an AI-generated scam. Image Credit: YouTube


The live stream attracted over 45,000 viewers during its peak engagement time and ran uninterrupted for five hours.

Despite taking down Channel Seven's YouTube page for safety precautions, searching 'Seven News' still yielded results related to the fraudulent videos.


A Channel Seven spokesperson acknowledged the breach and is working on a resolution.

'Seven is aware that some of its branded YouTube channels are not appearing as they should. Seven is investigating and working with YouTube to resolve the situation as soon as possible,' they stated.

This event serves as a stark reminder of the prevalence of online scams, particularly those involving cryptocurrencies.

Elon Musk's name has become a common lure for fraudulent schemes as scammers capitalise on his reputation.


Security researcher Dr Johannes B Ullrich expressed his disbelief that despite the notoriety of these scams, people continue to fall for them.

'Crypto coin users may represent a self-selecting target group,' Dr Ullrich said.

For our readers, especially those less familiar with the online world's intricacies, this incident underscores the importance of exercising caution.

Always verify the authenticity of any investment opportunity.

Legitimate businesses and individuals will never ask you to send them money with the promise of a guaranteed return, especially not through unsolicited online messages or live streams.
Key Takeaways

  • Several of Channel Seven's YouTube channels were hacked, with official content replaced by AI-generated footage of Elon Musk.
  • The cryptocurrency scams promoted in the footage promised to double any cryptocurrency sent to a specific website.
  • At its peak, the scam stream had over 45,000 viewers and ran for five hours before being taken down.
  • Seven acknowledged the situation and worked with YouTube to restore their channels.
Have you or someone you know come across this livestream lately? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below.
 
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This just shows how careful we need to be when it comes to online content, especially on big platforms like YouTube. It’s crazy because, on the flip side, people are using YouTube for legit purposes like earning through YouTube Shorts monetization, which is growing fast. I think it’s worth exploring, especially for creators who want to reach a big audience quickly with short-form content, while staying cautious of the risks out there.
 
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