Cardano Developer's YouTube Channel Hijacked for AI Deepfake Crypto Scam

Input Output Group (IOG), the company behind the Cardano blockchain, has warned users to avoid its official YouTube channel after it was hijacked and used to stream what appears to be an AI-manipulated video of founder Charles Hoskinson. The nearly two-hour livestream was disguised as an official Project Catalyst town hall, a legitimate community fund used to support Cardano development.

The fake video showed a Hoskinson lookalike promising to "double your wealth" and directed viewers to a QR code to take part in a crypto giveaway. This is a well-known scam pattern: funds sent by victims are not matched or returned, they are simply stolen. IOG has not disclosed how the channel was compromised or when it expects to regain full control, and has told users not to click any links, send funds, or share personal information related to the stream.

Attackers increasingly target established, verified channels with large followings rather than building new ones, because an existing history and subscriber base makes a scam look more credible. Combined with realistic AI-generated video and audio, these hijacks are becoming harder for everyday viewers to spot, especially when the content mimics a well-known figure discussing a real project.