Scammers used a fake event stream, a fake Apple website, and the promise of free Bitcoin to scam unsuspecting fans during the iPhone 13 unveiling event.
According to Apple Insider, people looking for the Apple Event on September 14 may have ended up in a lookalike stream that showed old interviews with Apple CEO Tim Cook rather than the “California Streaming” stream.
Those who stayed saw messages in the video instructing them to go to a special website – www.2021.apple.org, according to the report.
This was a scam, but it was done with just enough care to fool people into thinking it was real. Over $69k was sent to a Bitcoin wallet, indicating that the scheme was a huge success.
Those with a technical background may notice several flaws in the website, ranging from grammar issues to the .org URL. However, most people with only a passing knowledge of technology could easily misinterpret such a website as a legitimate promotion.
According to the report, the scammer’s website is currently down and will most likely remain down after successfully swindling people out of $69,000 in Bitcoin.
Scams like this have previously occurred on YouTube, with random channels being hacked to display Bitcoin advertisements.
