Shocking Scam Alert: Fake Death Announcement of Sunrise Host David Koch Used to Lure Victims into Cryptocurrency Scam!
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The internet has brought about countless positive changes in our lives, making communication and information sharing easier than ever before.
However, with the rise of the digital era, we've also seen an increase in scams, fraud, and other malicious online behaviour. It's no secret that our digital space is not always safe and secure.
As a result, many of us feel vulnerable and uneasy navigating this new landscape.
One particularly appalling development is the use of fake celebrity death announcements.
This scam has victimised many people, including Sunrise host, David ‘Kochie’ Koch.
Twitter was abuzz with stunned users last week when it seemed a post had been going around claiming that the TV presenter was rumoured to have passed away.
Twitter user @kimberly_ramrez shared a post on social media featuring a black-and-white image of the Sunrise host looking upset.
The post read: 'Although saying goodbye is never easy, we take comfort in knowing that Kochie lived a full and meaningful life, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, warmth and compassion.’
Thankfully, Kochie addressed the post, assuring everyone that he was alive and well.
He also took to Twitter to confirm that despite his absence from Sunrise the previous week, he was present in Adelaide for the AFL's Gather Round event.
It eventually came out that the tweet was actually an advertisement meant to coax Twitter users into signing up for a scam cryptocurrency service in return for a finder’s fee.
Finding out that her account had been hacked, the owner of @kimberly_ramrez, Kimberly Ramirez, said she had no idea that this had been going on, as she had deleted the app from her phone a while ago, forgetting about it.
According to an email notifying her of a login attempt to her account, Kimberly reported that someone from Lake Forest, Illinois, had accessed her account.
The intruder also changed the account's password and proceeded to advertise on Twitter using the account.
‘This a**hole left me a debt of over $1k on ads,’ the frustrated Twitter user said.
The ad wasn't the only one either, with other posts using the same technique to display artificial images of Kochie in a precarious situation, with the text: 'His whole future is now in jeopardy! Is this the end of his business career?'
The advertisements, aimed at individuals in the United States and Australia, had received over 6,000 clicks. Ramirez has since removed the ads.
The advertisements contained links to the website of a Massachusetts-based kitchen remodelling service called kitchensandcountertopsdirect.com.
While some users were redirected to the company's website after clicking the link, others were sent to a phoney ABC News article on MuskNews.net.
The article claimed that Koch had endorsed a cryptocurrency auto-trading program called ‘Immediate Edge’ during an interview with The Project's Waleed Aly.
It's worth noting that no such interview ever took place, and Koch has never endorsed this program.
All links on the MuskNews.net page redirect to a website advertising Immediate Edge.
Social media posts indicate that other individuals have reported similar ads promoting Immediate Edge featuring public figures like Jeremy Clarkson, Piers Morgan, and Justin Trudeau.
Immediate Edge is a fraudulent ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Many people have registered for the program, hoping to see substantial returns.
However, after depositing hundreds or thousands of dollars, they could not withdraw their funds. The internet is replete with complaints from victims of this scam.
Stephan Lindburg, a writer from the cryptocurrency scam monitor website ScamCryptoRobots.com, detailed the tactics used by cryptocurrency scammers.
‘Typically, brokers will use stall tactics by requesting that you resend documents, or they may give a variety of excuses, such as the risk manager being unavailable,’ he explained.
‘In other instances, they may simply ignore your emails, resulting in you being locked out of your trading account.’
How can this be prevented? The decentralised nature of these scams makes the whole thing all the more difficult.
Even if we ban or blacklist one user or service, other users are out there promoting the same scams – or, worse still, evading the ban.
That's why it's so important to have a backup plan and an awareness of what to do if you think you may be becoming a victim of a crypto scam.
Stay safe out there, folks! Also, feel free to share this article with your friends and loved ones so they can get informed of this new scheme.
This is not the first time David Koch’s or other celebrities’ images have been used to scam people. So, it’s best to stay on top of these mischievous schemes and avoid clicking on celebrity stories on social media.
Have you ever come across similar ads online? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
However, with the rise of the digital era, we've also seen an increase in scams, fraud, and other malicious online behaviour. It's no secret that our digital space is not always safe and secure.
As a result, many of us feel vulnerable and uneasy navigating this new landscape.
One particularly appalling development is the use of fake celebrity death announcements.
This scam has victimised many people, including Sunrise host, David ‘Kochie’ Koch.
Twitter was abuzz with stunned users last week when it seemed a post had been going around claiming that the TV presenter was rumoured to have passed away.
Twitter user @kimberly_ramrez shared a post on social media featuring a black-and-white image of the Sunrise host looking upset.
The post read: 'Although saying goodbye is never easy, we take comfort in knowing that Kochie lived a full and meaningful life, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, warmth and compassion.’
Thankfully, Kochie addressed the post, assuring everyone that he was alive and well.
He also took to Twitter to confirm that despite his absence from Sunrise the previous week, he was present in Adelaide for the AFL's Gather Round event.
It eventually came out that the tweet was actually an advertisement meant to coax Twitter users into signing up for a scam cryptocurrency service in return for a finder’s fee.
Finding out that her account had been hacked, the owner of @kimberly_ramrez, Kimberly Ramirez, said she had no idea that this had been going on, as she had deleted the app from her phone a while ago, forgetting about it.
According to an email notifying her of a login attempt to her account, Kimberly reported that someone from Lake Forest, Illinois, had accessed her account.
The intruder also changed the account's password and proceeded to advertise on Twitter using the account.
‘This a**hole left me a debt of over $1k on ads,’ the frustrated Twitter user said.
The ad wasn't the only one either, with other posts using the same technique to display artificial images of Kochie in a precarious situation, with the text: 'His whole future is now in jeopardy! Is this the end of his business career?'
The advertisements, aimed at individuals in the United States and Australia, had received over 6,000 clicks. Ramirez has since removed the ads.
The advertisements contained links to the website of a Massachusetts-based kitchen remodelling service called kitchensandcountertopsdirect.com.
While some users were redirected to the company's website after clicking the link, others were sent to a phoney ABC News article on MuskNews.net.
The article claimed that Koch had endorsed a cryptocurrency auto-trading program called ‘Immediate Edge’ during an interview with The Project's Waleed Aly.
It's worth noting that no such interview ever took place, and Koch has never endorsed this program.
All links on the MuskNews.net page redirect to a website advertising Immediate Edge.
Social media posts indicate that other individuals have reported similar ads promoting Immediate Edge featuring public figures like Jeremy Clarkson, Piers Morgan, and Justin Trudeau.
Immediate Edge is a fraudulent ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Many people have registered for the program, hoping to see substantial returns.
However, after depositing hundreds or thousands of dollars, they could not withdraw their funds. The internet is replete with complaints from victims of this scam.
Stephan Lindburg, a writer from the cryptocurrency scam monitor website ScamCryptoRobots.com, detailed the tactics used by cryptocurrency scammers.
‘Typically, brokers will use stall tactics by requesting that you resend documents, or they may give a variety of excuses, such as the risk manager being unavailable,’ he explained.
‘In other instances, they may simply ignore your emails, resulting in you being locked out of your trading account.’
Key Takeaways
- A fake death announcement of Sunrise host David Koch was used to lure victims into a cryptocurrency scam.
- David Koch confirmed he is alive and well.
- The scam advertisement led users to a phoney news article claiming Koch endorsed a cryptocurrency auto-trading program called ‘Immediate Edge.’
- Immediate Edge is a fraudulent 'get rich quick' scheme, and many people have been unable to withdraw their funds after depositing them.
How can this be prevented? The decentralised nature of these scams makes the whole thing all the more difficult.
Even if we ban or blacklist one user or service, other users are out there promoting the same scams – or, worse still, evading the ban.
That's why it's so important to have a backup plan and an awareness of what to do if you think you may be becoming a victim of a crypto scam.
Stay safe out there, folks! Also, feel free to share this article with your friends and loved ones so they can get informed of this new scheme.
This is not the first time David Koch’s or other celebrities’ images have been used to scam people. So, it’s best to stay on top of these mischievous schemes and avoid clicking on celebrity stories on social media.
Have you ever come across similar ads online? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!