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In June 2020, attackers reportedly hijacked three established YouTube channels, renamed them “SpaceX” or “SpaceX Live,” and streamed recorded Elon Musk and SpaceX footage as if it were live. Viewers were told to send Bitcoin first and receive double in return. The two wallet addresses cited in contemporaneous reporting received 15.31 BTC—valued at roughly $150,000 at the time—not a court-established loss total or a verified count of victims.
This was a 2020 incident, not a new August 2026 SpaceX promotion. The original account is documented by BleepingComputer’s June 9, 2020 report.
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What happened in the SpaceX YouTube scam
The activity reportedly began around June 8, 2020. Three channels identified before the takeover as Juice TV, Right Human, and MaximSakulevich were allegedly hijacked and rebranded. Their new names included “SpaceX Live” and “SpaceX.”
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The streams showed authentic-looking recordings of Elon Musk interviews or SpaceX conference appearances. They were presented as live events and paired with a cryptocurrency giveaway: send Bitcoin to a displayed address and receive a larger amount back. The cited report said roughly 80,000 people were watching at one point and that the campaign ran for about two days.
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How much Bitcoin did the cited wallets receive?
BleepingComputer identified two Bitcoin addresses and reported their transaction totals as follows:
| Wallet address | Transactions | Bitcoin received | Value reported in June 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
1ELonMUSK14JSGNYAcPJNqubuFByZPyjcj |
29 | 4.08 BTC | Approximately $39,840.18 |
3EtrSPskMRgwEEE9onLdmwcAFqaH9jj9rM |
84 | 11.23 BTC | Approximately $109,658.14 |
| Combined | 15.31 BTC | Approximately $150,000 at the time | |
The dollar figures were contemporaneous estimates based on Bitcoin’s exchange value in June 2020. They should not be read as today’s Bitcoin price. Blockchain receipts also do not prove how many people sent the funds, whether every sender was deceived, or what happened to the money later.
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Why hijacked channels made the giveaway believable
Existing audiences supplied instant credibility
The channels were reportedly established accounts rather than newly created profiles. One was said to have about 230,000 subscribers and another about 131,000—historical snapshots, not current statistics. A familiar channel history can make a sudden rebrand look more trustworthy than a brand-new fake account.
Real footage looked like proof
Using genuine Musk interviews and SpaceX event recordings reduced obvious visual clues that the stream was fraudulent. Authentic footage, however, proves only that the video came from a real event; it does not authenticate the account broadcasting it.
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Live-stream urgency discouraged verification
Countdowns, a claimed live event, viewer totals, and a limited-time offer create pressure to act before checking the channel’s handle, URL, or official SpaceX communications.
The payment logic was backwards
A legitimate giveaway does not require an unsolicited payment to an unverified wallet before a prize can be received. In this pattern, the transfer is the scammer’s payment. Bitcoin transactions generally cannot be reversed through YouTube, and deleting a comment or reporting a video does not return funds.
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What remains unknown about the 2020 incident
- The available reporting does not establish how the attackers obtained control of the channels—such as phishing, stolen credentials, malware, or another method.
- No perpetrator identity, arrest, conviction, or confirmed operator group is identified in the cited coverage.
- The reports do not provide a verified victim list, establish that 80,000 viewers lost money, or document recovery of the Bitcoin.
- It is not established whether the broadcasts were technically live, prerecorded loops, or another format, nor whether all three channels were controlled by the same people.
- The current status of the channels and the ultimate movement of the funds are not established by the cited reports.
How to recognize the same scam today
Treat an unsolicited stream as a scam when it combines several of these signs:
- It claims to represent SpaceX, Elon Musk, or another major public figure.
- It promises to double or multiply Bitcoin.
- It requires cryptocurrency to be sent first and displays a wallet address or QR code.
- It uses genuine footage but the channel’s handle, URL, history, or subject matter does not match the official source.
- It relies on countdowns, scarcity, “first participants” language, or unverifiable comments claiming successful payouts.
A large subscriber count, a verification badge, polished graphics, high viewer numbers, or years of channel history are not proof of legitimacy. The 2020 case demonstrates why: an existing audience can be compromised and rebranded.
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What YouTube policy says and how to report a stream
YouTube’s current impersonation policy prohibits deceptive copying of a person’s, entity’s, or channel’s identity, including branding, usernames, profile images, banners, and color schemes.
Preserve the video URL, channel URL, wallet address, screenshots, timestamps, and relevant chat messages before reporting. YouTube’s reporting guidance says to report the specific video separately from the channel:
- For the video, open it, select More → Report, choose the closest violation category, and submit.
- For the channel, open its page, use the menu in the channel description, select Report user, choose the reason, and submit.
- Report abusive comments, community posts, or live-chat messages individually when applicable.
Reporting is not an automatic takedown request. YouTube reviews reports and removes content only when it violates the applicable guidelines; a channel report does not automatically cause every video on that channel to be reviewed.
If you already sent Bitcoin
- Stop communicating with the account and do not send a second payment.
- Ignore anyone promising recovery for an upfront fee; recovery scams commonly target cryptocurrency victims.
- Save transaction IDs, wallet addresses, screenshots, URLs, usernames, and messages.
- Notify the exchange or wallet provider you used to send the funds. They may record the fraud and advise on account or transaction steps, although recovery is not guaranteed.
- Report the incident to the relevant law-enforcement or cybercrime authority in your jurisdiction.
- If you clicked a link, entered credentials, installed software, or connected a wallet, change exposed passwords, review sessions, and enable strong multifactor authentication. YouTube’s security resources are at this help page.
For creators whose channels were taken over, YouTube provides a hacked-channel recovery process.
The Bottom Line
The 2020 SpaceX giveaway was an impersonation scam built on hijacked channels, authentic-looking footage, and a promise to double Bitcoin. The cited wallets received 15.31 BTC, worth about $150,000 then. Never send cryptocurrency to an unverified account on the promise of receiving more back.
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