Indian YouTuber and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia fell victim to cryptocurrency scammers who hijacked his channels to promote a fraudulent scheme promising up to 200% returns on crypto investments.
On September 25, hackers took control of several of Allahbadia’s YouTube channels, including his primary channel, BeerBiceps, which boasts over 7.8 million subscribers, and his personal channel with more than 9.4 million followers. They rebranded these channels to livestream an AI-altered video of Elon Musk, encouraging viewers to invest in a “double your crypto” scam.
The hackers altered the channels’ logos and handles, removing all previous content to make them appear as official Tesla platforms. Their goal was to deceive viewers with fake cryptocurrency giveaways and fraudulent livestreams featuring a manipulated likeness of Musk.
In a twist, the scammers also included images of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in the thumbnail, likely aiming to leverage the hype surrounding the 2024 elections, where cryptocurrency has become a prominent topic.
While the videos have since been taken down, reports from viewers on X indicated that one livestream attracted over 149,000 viewers at its peak. As with previous scams, the livestreams displayed a QR code that, when scanned, redirected users to a counterfeit website branded as Tesla, featuring a bogus $100 million giveaway.
Historically, crypto scammers have impersonated Musk and his companies, like SpaceX, to defraud unsuspecting enthusiasts. This latest incident highlights the ongoing risks associated with such scams and the need for vigilance among online audiences.
