Input Output Group (IOG) has warned users to avoid its official YouTube channel following a security breach in which scammers hijacked the account and livestreamed a suspected deepfake video of Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson.
The livestream, which ran for nearly two hours, was disguised as an official Project Catalyst town hall—a community-driven fund supporting Cardano development projects. During the broadcast, the AI-manipulated video showed a Hoskinson lookalike promising to "double your wealth" and directed viewers to a QR code linked to a cryptocurrency giveaway scheme.
The Scam Mechanism
The fake video is typical of hijacked-account scams that use artificial intelligence to recreate a public figure's voice and appearance. Viewers are directed to send cryptocurrency to a wallet address under the premise that funds will be matched or doubled. In practice, funds sent through such schemes are typically lost permanently.
IOG's Response
Input Output Group posted a warning on its official X account on Friday, urging users not to interact with the YouTube channel until further notice. The company instructed people to avoid clicking links shown during the stream and warned against sending funds or sharing personal information through the compromised channel.
IOG did not disclose how the channel was compromised or provide a timeline for regaining full control. The company has not released information about how many viewers interacted with the stream or the QR code.
Why Official Channels Are Targeted
Hijacked channels with large followings and verification status are frequently targeted by scammers because they carry built-in trust with existing audiences. Attackers prefer to compromise established, verified accounts rather than create new ones, as older channels with subscriber histories appear more legitimate to viewers.
The use of AI-generated video and audio has made these scams increasingly difficult to identify. The choice to frame the stream as a Project Catalyst event added credibility, as Project Catalyst is a recognized and active part of the Cardano ecosystem.
