YouTube Has Become a Platform for Deepfake Fraud: Avast

A new report from Avast warns that YouTube has become a significant platform for malicious actors to deploy phishing attacks, malware, and fraudulent investment schemes. The researchers focused particularly on Lumma and RedLine malware, which exploit YouTube as a traffic distribution system, directing users to scam landing pages and malicious software. These threats range from phishing and malware distribution to bogus investment opportunities.

One alarming trend identified by Avast researchers is the rise of deepfake videos on YouTube. Avast discovered multiple high-profile accounts, each with over 50 million subscribers, that had been compromised and repurposed to propagate cryptocurrency scams. The scams relied on deepfake videos to deceive viewers, complemented by fake comments and malicious links embedded in the video descriptions.

The report outlines five methods by which threat actors exploit YouTube. Personalized phishing emails sent to YouTube creators offer fake collaboration opportunities to gain their trust and deliver malicious links. Attackers also use compromised video descriptions with malicious links to trick users into downloading malware. Hijacking YouTube channels to spread threats such as cryptocurrency scams and creating videos with fraudulent websites that distribute malware are also common tactics.

These methods exploit social engineering techniques to guide users to seemingly helpful tools that are actually malware in disguise.

This Avast report arrives alongside the recent INTERPOL Global Financial Fraud Assessment, which also highlighted the growing threat of deepfake fraud. Both reports emphasize the urgent need for increased vigilance and proactive measures to combat the sophisticated techniques employed by cybercriminals in the digital age.

Source: Dark Reading

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May 23, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy