Deepfake Tim Cook used in cryptocurrency scam on YouTube during iPhone 16 launch
Scammers used AI-generated deepfake videos of Apple CEO Tim Cook on YouTube during the iPhone 16 launch event to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme promising to double invested funds. The fake videos were hosted on a counterfeit 'Apple US' channel and attracted hundreds of thousands of views before YouTube removed them.
What happened
On September 9, 2024, during Apple's 'Glowtime' event livestream, multiple deepfake videos of CEO Tim Cook appeared on YouTube promoting a cryptocurrency scam. The scammers created a fake 'Apple US' channel complete with a verification tick, and the deepfake videos urged viewers to send Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, or Dogecoin to a wallet address with the false promise of doubling their investment.
The deepfake showed Cook claiming: 'Once you complete your deposit, the system will automatically process it and send back double the amount of the cryptocurrency you deposited.' Some scam streams garnered hundreds of thousands of views, likely boosted by bot activity to create an appearance of legitimacy.
Reported impact
The fraudulent livestreams coincided with Apple's official event unveiling the iPhone 16 models, damaging Apple's brand reputation during a major product launch. YouTube acknowledged the scam on September 9 and subsequently removed the videos and closed the associated accounts.
Index analysis
The scam targeted consumers during a high-visibility event by impersonating a trusted tech executive and company account. The deepfake technology successfully deceived viewers into believing the fake Cook was promoting a legitimate Apple cryptocurrency offering.
Governance controls
YouTube's support team acknowledged the fraudulent activity and encouraged users to report videos through official reporting channels. The sham videos were removed and associated accounts were closed in response to the incident.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.