At a startling rate, cybercriminals are taking over well-known YouTube channels, exposing viewers to malware, frauds, and data theft. With billions of views and millions of followers at risk, a single mistake can have disastrous results.
According to new research from Bitdefender Labs, social media account takeovers increased in 2024 and persisted into early 2025. Content creators and influencers with large followings and views have become primary targets.
Bitdefender discovered more than 9,000 fraudulent livestreams on YouTube in 2024. These are frequently presented on hacked channels that use trusted brands and public figures to propagate fraud and malware.
One such hijacked account had 12.4 billion views; if even 1% of viewers were duped, 124 million users would be impacted. Attackers frequently imitate well-known brands such as Tesla, Ripple, and SpaceX, holding phoney livestreams with deepfakes of public people like Elon Musk and Donald Trump to push cryptocurrency frauds and phishing links.