No, Apple doesn’t want you to invest in crypto. According to reports, those looking to tune into Apple’s Far Out event on YouTube may have instead found themselves watching a streaming crypto scam.
Originally reported by The Verge, sources indicate that someone on YouTube was using an older interview with Tim Cook in order to attract audiences toward a crypto scam.
Apple’s Far Out Event Gets Fake Crypto Stream on YouTube
According to reports, the fake stream was able to gain attention via filling its description with an array of Apple keywords in both the title and the description. However, users that viewed the stream received odd messages with links to a likely-shady crypto website.
Concerning the stream itself, there were plenty of indicators that the stream was dubious. The awkward title of “Apple Event Live. Ceo of Apple Tim Cook: Apple & Metaverse in 2022” gave some clues. Additionally, the stream also featured an old CNN interview of Cook that cook place in 2018.
To make things even more complicated and awkward, the stream also added Bitcoin and Ethereal logos to the video stream, covered the CNN Money logo with the text “Apple Crypto Event 2022” and added the text “URGENT NEWS” to the bottom of the screen. Those that were unfortunate to click into the channels’ “Apple LIVE” page were met with a URL having nothing to do with Cupertino.
Nefarious Intentions
Reports suggest that there is a possibility that the stream had other intentions when it first went live, with there being a possibility that the stream was hijacked by bad actors as means to host the stream.
Reports suggest that viewership of the fake stream hit around 70K viewers.
YouTube has since taken the stream down. Remember that it is highly likely that Apple will never try to get you to invest in crypto. As always, it’s best to remain vigilant when traversing the internet.
Concerning the actual Far Out event, Apple did announce the new iPhone 14 series, as well as the new AirPods Pro 2 and the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE. Apple also announced the new Apple Watch Ultra. Additionally, Tim Cook, Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs also sat down with Kara Swisher after the Far Out event to talk about the new Steve Jobs Archive, among other topics.
What did you think about the actual Far Out event? Let us know in the comments.
Nick:
Given our longstanding relationship with cybercrime, one would think that most potential viewers would be too savvy to fall for something that so gaudily screams ‘scam’, until one stops to appreciate that, for the tech challenged who ask Zuckerberg why their iPhones don’t work the way they expected (looking at you, US Senate), and others in LMICs with limited internet access, who often have to go through third party hosts to see an online event (been there, done that, no fun), one can appreciate the inevitable exploit.
As a kid in East Africa, I used to wonder why the wildebeests were so stupid as to cross a river full of crocs, until I appreciated the imperative of reaching the only remaining feeding grounds on the other side of bank. For many, it’s the imperative of obtaining information, and accepting that either their own lack of know-how or environmentally-constrained options will drive them into the maw of the reptile.
Besides, we all know that the real livestream would have announced ‘Tim Apple’.