Cryptocurrency giveaway scams that impersonate famous celebrities have been making the rounds for many years now. The latest victim of cybercriminals is a well-known Indian YouTuber, Ajey Nagar, where his gaming channel has been compromised to lure victims using a fake Bitcoin giveaway scam. The YouTuber is well known for streaming live video games with other YouTubers as well as influential personalities on the site. According to reports, Ajey’s second YouTube channel, Carrislive, was targeted explicitly by cyber criminals for their fraudulent purposes.
The hack occurred in the wee hours on Saturday, July 25, where the hackers asked for donations in the form of Bitcoins to help out Asam and Bishar. It was later proved to be a front to defraud the many unsuspecting users of their cryptocurrency on the popular video streaming site.
Ajar’s response to the fake YouTube Bitcoin giveaway scam
On July 25, Ajar, through his official Twitter handle, confirmed reports of the hack to his YouTube channel subscribers. He further asked for assistance to resolve the issue where the cybercriminals posted two promotional videos with each one of them containing different Bitcoin addresses attached to them. In one of the said videos, the fraudsters posted pictures of SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, apparently handing out Bitcoins. The scammers intended to promote the videos, to lure unsuspecting victims into sending their BTC, with the promise of doubling the amount.
My channel is now back with me! I don't know who did it & why but thanks to youtube for their immediate support.
— Ajey Nagar (@CarryMinati) July 25, 2020
Nevertheless, Ajar has confirmed that he has regained control of his account and that operations are back to normal. In addition, he claimed that he did not know the culprits involved in the fake Bitcoin scam and why they target him. However, he thanked YouTube for their quick response to the issue at hand.
Cryptocurrency scams on YouTube on the rise
Of late Bitcoin, scams have been on the rise on the popular video streaming platform. This is not the first reported case of cyberjacking involving influential personalities. Public figures such as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak have all fallen victims to impersonation involving fake Bitcoin giveaways. Meanwhile, YouTube’s legal team has insisted that the site is well protected from the fraudsters in the event of scams done online through video content and descriptions.