TikTok has emerged as a fertile ground for financial scams, specifically those involving cryptocurrency. The platform's wide reach, coupled with its appeal to younger audiences, presents an attractive prospect for malicious actors aiming to exploit unsuspecting users.   

The scams operate under a facade of legitimacy, often initiated with a deepfake video of a reputable figure endorsing a cryptocurrency exchange. Users are enticed to sign up on the purported exchange using a promo code, which allegedly credits their account with a significant amount of bitcoin.  

However, upon attempting to withdraw these funds, the platform mandates a preliminary transfer of bitcoin to "verify" the user's account. Unwittingly, victims who comply with this requirement find that not only is the promised bitcoin unattainable, but also any transferred funds to the platform are irretrievably lost to the cybercriminals orchestrating the scam.  

At the heart of these scams is the illicit utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create deepfake videos. Notorious personalities such as Elon Musk, Mr. Beast, Sam Altman, Warren Buffet, Joe Rogan, Donald Trump, and Tucker Carlson are impersonated in fraudulent endorsements of cryptocurrency exchanges. These fabricated endorsements lure users with promises of substantial Bitcoin rewards, setting the stage for financial deception.  

 The malicious use of AI, particularly deepfake technology, underscores the escalating sophistication of cyber adversaries. By creating convincing counterfeit videos of reputable individuals, scammers successfully manipulate public trust. This exploitation not only exhibits a concerning trend of cyber threats on social media platforms, but also exemplifies the potential of AI in augmenting the effectiveness of financial scams. Deepfake technology, once the domain of high-skilled individuals, is becoming increasingly accessible, making it even more difficult to discern real endorsements from fabricated ones.  

Initially confined to English-speaking audiences, these scams have transcended linguistic barriers, making inroads into non-English speaking regions. Recent manifestations of these scams have been observed in various languages including Spanish, German, Italian, and French, reflecting a broadening threat landscape. The multilingual expansion of these scams signifies a global threat and underscores the necessity for multinational cooperation in tackling these AI-driven scams.  

Though TikTok is the primary stage for these scams, evidence suggests a multi-platform approach by malicious actors. Platforms like YouTube have also been utilized to disseminate scam content, indicating a broader digital footprint and an extended reach of these deceptive practices. TikTok alone has more than 1 billion monthly active users, which makes the surface attack huge. When we started blocking access to these scam websites, we protected several thousand users in a matter of a few days.  

The TikTok scams are not isolated incidents but rather indicators of a growing trend of AI-driven cyber threats. The ease of spreading misinformation through deepfake technology, coupled with the allure of quick financial gains, is a potent combination that may pave the way for more sophisticated scams in the future. The potential ramifications extend beyond individual economic loss to a broader erosion of trust in digital platforms and notable personalities.