Deepfake of Elon Musk Promotes Bitcoin Scam on YouTube

On June 2, a graphic designer for Dogecoin, known as DogeDesigner, discovered a YouTube livestream featuring a deepfake of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk promoting a cryptocurrency scam.

YouTube should change its name to ScamTube.

A deepfake livestream of Elon Musk promoting a cryptocurrency scam is currently being broadcast on YouTube, with over 35,000 people watching. pic.twitter.com/iyjjg2nari

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) June 2, 2024

DogeDesigner reported that the video had garnered over 35,000 viewers. One user noted that the number had reached 42,000.

In the edited video titled “Tesla Unveils a Masterpiece: The Tesla That Will Forever Change the Auto Industry,” there is a sudden shift in theme about a third of the way through.

The fake Musk invites users to scan a QR code on the screen, which directs them to a giveaway website. He recommends doing this during the so-called live broadcast.

“On the site, you can deposit any amount of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin without any registration. Once you do, you will receive double the amount of the deposited cryptocurrency,” says the fake entrepreneur.

At the time of writing, the video is still available on YouTube.

The scammers’ channel closely resembles the official Tesla page on the video platform and even has nearly 15,000 subscribers. The original has 2.65 million.

Musk responded to DogeDesigner’s post with a very succinct tweet.

!!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 2, 2024

Earlier, billionaire investor Warren Buffett compared the threat of deepfakes to nuclear weapons.