"YouTube warns its creators about an AI-generated video of its CEO being used in phishing scams."
Be careful with this scam.
YouTube has issued a warning to content creators about a new phishing scheme that uses an artificial intelligence-generated video of CEO Neal Mohan to deceive victims. This fraudulent video has been shared privately and claims that the platform is making changes to its monetization policy with the aim of stealing user credentials.
In a recent announcement, the company clarified, “YouTube and its employees will never attempt to contact you or share information through a private video.” They also emphasize that if a video is privately shared and labeled as being from YouTube, it is a phishing attempt.
In recent weeks, reports have emerged on platforms like Reddit describing scams similar to those warned by YouTube. One user mentioned receiving an email from an account called “YouTube Creator Notification,” which contained a private video and requested them to download a malicious file. Another user indicated that they received a private video from “Creator Channel,” which sought their consent for a new monetization policy through a fraudulent DocuSign site. In both cases, the emails came from the address no-reply@youtube.com.
YouTube also mentioned that many scammers actively seek to target creators by impersonating the platform and using internal features to link to malicious content. This type of scam is not entirely new, as a Reddit user had detected a deepfake video of Mohan circulating in 2023. If anyone receives any of these fraudulent videos, they are advised to report it on the YouTube website.