Apple's iPhone16 Reveal Marred by Deepfake Video

Apple's highly anticipated 'Glowtime' event on YouTube, showcasing the iPhone 16 and other new devices, was marred by livestreams featuring deepfakes of CEO Tim Cook promoting cryptocurrency scams.

These fake videos urged viewers to scan a QR code during the event, falsely promising a "double-your-money" offer in exchange for Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, or Dogecoin.

The AI-generated Cook assured viewers they would receive double their deposit, but the scammers simply kept the funds.

One particularly deceptive stream appeared on a channel mimicking "Apple US," complete with a verified checkmark.

Screenshots and videos shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) revealed that some of these fraudulent streams garnered hundreds of thousands of views, likely inflated by bots to enhance their credibility.

Details of the Deepfake Cook Video

The video also displayed a fraudulent URL, apple-gift2024.com, which is not affiliated with Apple in any way.

The scam video was carefully crafted to resemble content from Apple's official YouTube channel, mimicking the layout and design of legitimate uploads.

However, it is important to note that Apple's official channel is simply named "Apple" and has over 19 million subscribers, whereas this impersonator channel had nearly 2 million.

The video itself featured an older clip of Cook at Apple's Cupertino headquarters, with a poorly generated voice asking viewers to scan a QR code (which have been blurred for safety reasons) —to register for a fake crypto giveaway.

The imitation is designed to deceive, but discerning viewers will notice the discrepancies that reveal its fraudulent nature.

YouTube's Algorithm Pushed Deepfake Scam to the Top

What is even more alarming was that YouTube's search algorithm placed these fraudulent scam videos at the top of search results.

This poses a significant risk, as not every user can easily identify a fake or recognise when they are being deceived.

The responsibility, therefore, falls on YouTube and its parent company, Alphabet, to prevent such misleading content from being promoted as the most popular search result.

It is also crucial for YouTube to investigate how these bad actors so easily manipulated its algorithm.