Fake YouTube stream leads viewers to AI Trump crypto scam

Looking for the game? Fake YouTube stream leads viewers to AI Trump crypto scam

Looking for the game Fake YouTube stream leads viewers to AI Trump crypto scam.png

What appeared to be a live stream of Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game instead led one Southeast Texas viewer into an elaborate cryptocurrency scam featuring an AI-generated President Donald Trump.

The viewer was searching YouTube for the Cowboys game after being unable to find the broadcast over the air. A stream titled “LIVE: New Your Giants vs Dallas Cowboy | Live Game” appeared to offer the game and used an official-looking thumbnail that included NFL branding. The stream also showed roughly 11,000 viewers watching at the time, adding another layer of apparent legitimacy.

Looking for the game? Fake YouTube stream leads viewers to AI Trump crypto scam

But after opening the stream, instead of the game, the video appeared to show a presidential news conference, with Trump standing alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The video showed Trump promoting what was described as a cryptocurrency backed by the U.S. dollar and urging viewers to act quickly by scanning a QR code displayed on the podium.

The event was not a real news conference. The likenesses and voices of the officials appeared to be generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence as part of an investment scam.

The setup follows a pattern cybersecurity researchers have seen before: scammers use major news events, celebrities or popular live programming to draw viewers into fake YouTube broadcasts before directing them toward cryptocurrency websites.

Bitdefender.com researchers have documented campaigns in which criminals took control of existing YouTube channels, changed their names and streamed deepfake videos promoting cryptocurrency offers. Some of those channels had hundreds of thousands or more than a million subscribers, helping the fake broadcasts appear legitimate.

Researchers say the videos often display QR codes that send viewers to fraudulent websites designed to resemble legitimate cryptocurrency or corporate pages.

The Sunday night scam adds another layer by using professional football as the initial lure. The actual Cowboys-Giants game was broadcast nationally, but someone searching YouTube could easily encounter unofficial streams using team names, logos or game-related thumbnails.

That confusion may be especially risky for older viewers who are less familiar with the differences between YouTube, YouTube TV and other streaming services.

The FBI says older Americans continue to suffer the highest total losses from online fraud. In 2025, people age 60 and older reported approximately $7.7 billion in losses. Cryptocurrency-related schemes accounted for billions of dollars in reported losses among older victims.

The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to be suspicious of any unexpected cryptocurrency pitch involving a government official, celebrity or other well-known figure, particularly when the message creates urgency or directs viewers to scan a QR code.

Some warning signs include misspelled or unusual livestream titles, channels with little previous activity, comments that are disabled, sudden investment pitches during unrelated content and promises involving guaranteed cryptocurrency returns.

YouTube’s policies prohibit channels from using artificial intelligence to impersonate a person in a way that could mislead viewers, including fake videos that make public figures appear to endorse products or investments.

Anyone who encounters a suspicious stream can report it directly to YouTube. People who believe they have lost money to a cryptocurrency scam can also file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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