Cryptocurrency Scam Targets YouTubers With Phony Brand Deals

In early February, Google revealed that its popular video-hosting service, YouTube, made $15 billion in 2019. Through ads placed on the site and in front of videos, content creators are able to earn revenue and reach an ever-expanding audience of consumers. As lucrative as content production can be, content creators have recently become a target for scammers hoping to make a quick buck. A hacked YouTube channel can be turned into an ad-revenue-generating machine or a livestream cryptocurrency scam waiting for users to inadvertently encounter.

Phishing scams, which send links meant to take personal information under the guise of popular web addresses, have been targeting YouTubers with fake brand deals. Over the past two months, builders BrickBros Productions and musician PoGo have had their channels taken over, videos privated and content replaced by cryptocurrency livestreams….