During the iPhone 13 unveiling event, scammers used a false event stream, a fake Apple website, and the promise of free Bitcoin to deceive unsuspecting customers, according to the media.
People browsing for the Apple Event on September 14 may have stumbled across a lookalike stream that showed past interviews with Apple CEO Tim Cook instead of the “California Streaming” stream, according to AppleInsider.
The report said that those who stuck around saw messages come up in the video urging them to go to www.2021.apple.org
According to Zscaler, the website resembled a spoof of Apple’s website and advertised a Bitcoin giveaway. All the people had to do was send 0.1 to 20 Bitcoin through a QR code, and they would receive double the amount.
This was a online scam, but it was done with just enough care to deceive others into thinking it was real. The dubious plan was highly successful, as almost $69k was sent to one Bitcoin wallet.
Those with a technical expertise may see various issues in the website, ranging from grammatical errors to the.org URL. Most people with only a rudimentary understanding of technology, may readily mistake such a website for a legitimate promotion.
The scammer’s website is currently down and will most likely remain unavailable after swindling people out of $69,000 in Bitcoin, according to the report.