Ranveer Allahbadia's YouTube channels hacked, all videos deleted
Popular YouTuber and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, aka Beer Biceps, has fallen victim to a cyberattack. Both of his YouTube channels, which collectively boast millions of followers, were hacked and renamed by unidentified perpetrators. His official channel was renamed to "Tesla," with the handle changed to '@Elon.trump.teslalive2024,' while his personal channel was rebranded as '@Tesla.event.trump2024.' All videos on both channels were subsequently deleted by the hackers.
Hackers used AI-generated Elon Musk avatar in crypto scam
The hackers reportedly used a deceptive livestream featuring an AI-generated avatar of Tesla CEO Elon Musk to promote a cryptocurrency scam. They urged viewers to invest in Bitcoin or Ethereum with the false promise of doubling their returns. The avatar directed viewers to scan a QR code and deposit cryptocurrency on a suspicious website, elonweb.net, using a classic "Bitcoin doubling" scam tactic often seen in cyberattacks targeting high-profile YouTube channels.
YouTube removed Allahbadia's channels for policy violations
In response to the hack, YouTube removed Allahbadia's channels due to policy violations. Initially, when users attempted to search for the channels, they were greeted with a message stating that they had been removed due to a violation of the company's policies. Now, the live streaming platform simply displays a message saying 'This page isn't available. Sorry about that. Try searching for something else.'
Allahbadia's response to the hacking incident
Hours after the unfortunate incident, Allahbadia posted a Story on his Instagram handle @beerbiceps where he shared a picture of food with the caption, "Celebrating my two main channels being hacked with my favorite food. vegan burgers." In another Story, he wrote, "Is this the end of my YouTube career? Was nice knowing you all." Allahbadia's last post on X/Twitter was shared 14 hours ago. The post is a short video from his podcast on communal harmony.
