Over 35 fake Elon Musks live-streamed during the latest SpaceX launch, as scammers attempted to dupe space enthusiasts with the promise of double-your-crypto giveaways. Cybersecurity researchers at Avast Threat Labs reported that the scammy streams coincided with the fourth test launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which successfully survived re-entry and splashed down in the Indian Ocean.
The scammers leveraged AI-generated deep fakes to mimic Musk’s voice and appearance, instructing viewers to send Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH) to an address to receive double the amount back. While the streams have now been taken down, the scammers managed to accumulate around $34,000 in crypto before their channels were rebranded to push a similar scam using a deep fake of Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson.
The Anatomy of the Scam
- Over 35 YouTube channels live-streamed the AI-generated fake Elon Musk promising a “real giveaway” with a “personal guarantee.”
- The streams showed wide-angle footage of Musk speaking at a SpaceX event, with the face slightly blurred to make it harder to spot the deep fake.
- The fake Musk voice did a decent job at copying Musk’s vocal mannerisms, including stutters and pauses.
- One YouTube channel had masqueraded as an official SpaceX account, pushing three simultaneous livestreams with 170,000 viewers, likely bots.
- The scammers used three separate wallets for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin, accumulating around $34,000.
“You have a chance to see your crypto propel exponentially as our rocket propels toward the stars,”
the fake Musk voice said.
Musk’s Likeness a Common Target for Crypto Scams
Elon Musk’s likeness is frequently used in crypto scams, as the billionaire has long expressed support for cryptocurrencies, especially Dogecoin. In April, similar fake SpaceX YouTube accounts pushed the same double-your-money scam during a solar eclipse.
Last month, Hong Kong’s securities watchdog shut down a firm with deep fake videos of Musk on its site, claiming he developed the technology for an AI crypto trading service.
As the popularity of AI-generated content continues to grow, crypto investors must remain vigilant against scams that exploit these powerful tools for nefarious purposes.
