In a campaign observed beginning July 16, 2024, Bitdefender Labs reported that hijacked YouTube channels streamed a deepfake Elon Musk and promoted crypto giveaways tied to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The promise of doubled cryptocurrency was the central warning sign: viewers who scanned the streams’ QR codes were directed to fraudulent sites impersonating Tesla or invoking Musk and Trump. A famous face, breaking-news angle, or large subscriber count did not make the offer legitimate.
How the scam worked
Bitdefender Labs said it observed dozens of compromised YouTube channels livestreaming a looped video of a deepfake Musk. The streams purported to offer insight about the assassination attempt and election support, while altered channel descriptions promoted cryptocurrency giveaways promising doubled returns. Some channels were renamed “Tesla” or “Donald Trump Jr.”; some original videos were removed.
QR codes embedded in the streams sent viewers to fraudulent websites designed to imitate Tesla or combine Musk and Trump references. A QR code does not verify the destination or the person behind an offer. In a crypto giveaway that asks viewers to send coins first, the doubling promise is itself a strong scam signal.
Why a popular channel was not proof of legitimacy
Compromised channels can retain their audiences even after an attacker changes their branding. Bitdefender reported one channel with 1.26 million subscribers, others with more than 700,000, and some with around 100,000. Those figures describe potential reach, not confirmed viewers, victims, or losses. Subscriber counts and familiar channel names are not authentication.
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The campaign illustrates how fraudsters can borrow credibility from a real channel, a recognizable public figure, and a major news event at once. None establishes that the person is actually speaking or that the giveaway is authorized.
Warning signs to check on YouTube
- A promise to double cryptocurrency or return more than a viewer sends.
- A livestream using a celebrity deepfake or a topical news event to make the giveaway feel urgent or official.
- A sudden channel rebrand, including a switch to names such as “Tesla” or “Donald Trump Jr.”
- Older videos that are missing or have been removed, and comments that are closed.
- A QR code or link that takes viewers to a giveaway site rather than a verifiable official source.
Bitdefender identified closed comments and missing or deleted videos as warning signs in this campaign. Any one clue warrants caution; it is not, by itself, proof that a channel has been hijacked.
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What to do if you encounter a crypto doubling offer
- Do not send cryptocurrency. Do not pay a fee or transfer coins to “unlock” a giveaway, claim a return, or verify eligibility.
- Do not scan the stream’s QR code. If you have already scanned it, do not connect a wallet, enter credentials, or approve a transaction on the destination site.
- Check the channel context. Look for an abrupt name or description change, missing older uploads, closed comments, and an implausible giveaway. Do not rely on subscriber totals or a recognizable face.
- Report suspicious content to YouTube. Bitdefender also recommended using a trusted security solution to help block phishing attempts and fraudulent links.
Domains named in Bitdefender’s 2024 report
Bitdefender listed these five domains as indicators associated with the campaign: musktrump[.]org, tesla-elon[.]gives, elomusk[.]finance, muskrise[.]io, and taketesla[.]org. They are defanged here to avoid making them clickable. These are historical indicators from the 2024 report; their current status has not been established, so the list should not be treated as a live blocklist.
Sources and scope
Bitdefender Labs’ analysis, first published July 17, 2024 and updated September 11, 2024, is the source for the campaign details, domain names, channel indicators, and subscriber figures described here: Bitdefender Labs’ report. Contemporaneous secondary coverage appeared in CSO Online on July 18, 2024: CSO Online’s report. Neither source establishes whether the named domains or campaign remain active now.
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