Key Takeaways
- Sir David Attenborough is not endorsing cryptocurrency or investment scams and has spoken out against them.
- Scams involving celebrity endorsements are common, with fake articles, photos, and fake videos used to deceive.
- Celebrity scams lure victims to invest in cryptocurrency with fake articles and urgent investment appeals.
You might have seen posts on X (formerly Twitter) in which legendary broadcaster, environmental campaigner, and British national treasure Sir David Attenborough enthuses about cryptocurrency. No doubt, alarm bells rang in your head. That’s because this is a scam—and one that Attenborough himself has spoken out about.
What Is the David Attenborough Scam?
An advert featuring David Attenborough has been doing the rounds on X and other social media apps for a few years. It features an image (or sometimes a video) with a post about the naturalist presenter earning around £125k a month from stocks and shares in gold, natural gas, oil, or cryptocurrency. That’s nearly $160k.
Except, of course, David Attenborough doesn’t have shares in such things. This is a scam.
Scams supposedly involving celebrity endorsements are nothing new. Sometimes, these are photos with apparent quotes; other times, more sinister deepfake videos aim to trick you. Any videos involving Attenborough linking him to this scam are edited and faked. The money the presenter is supposed to have earned changes, too.
And this isn’t a small-time operation. UK bank NatWest estimates that between 2022 and 2023, victims lost some £275k (almost $350k) to this scam alone. Even more concerning is that these posts are often sponsored, so X gets paid for them, and they’re spread more widely.
What Do Celebrity Scams Look Like?
How do you spot this scam?
With this particular scam, a photo, screengrab, or video of Attenborough is typically shown appearing on British chat shows like The Graham Norton Show, The Jonathan Ross Show, and Good Morning Britain.
There are variations, but these images are normally accompanied by a clickbait-style message enticing you to click on the associated link.
There is also an abundance of fake news articles, including sensationalist headlines like “Sir David Attenborough Shocked Everyone In The Studio By Revealing How He Is Making An Extra £128K Every Month.”
How the Crypto Scam Works
These posts on X typically redirect to a fraudulent article, often fashioned after a tabloid newspaper’s site (though some link to fake BBC-style pages). This tells readers more about Attenborough’s supposed investment in cryptocurrency, accompanied by warnings that the window for investment is closing. This sense of urgency, or FOMO, is a classic scamming tactic.
The names of the associated crypto firms change so it’s hard for agencies to close them down quickly, but reported companies include Quantum AI and Bullexo. It’s worth noting that most good antivirus suites will warn you of the validity of these websites.
These naturally push for you to invest money yourself, though terms and conditions warn that there’s a “high risk” of you losing all your cash.
The Mirror reports that Bullexo is incorporated in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. This is significant because crypto trading isn’t regulated there, so if you lose all your money, there’s very little you can do.
What Does David Attenborough Have to Say About It?
Obviously, Attenborough was disgusted to learn that his name and likeness are being used to scam people. Attenborough told Andrew Penman at The Mirror:
“I am appalled that my name and image is being used in connection with these scams. I have never said anything about cryptocurrencies and I would never advise anyone to invest in them. I hope no one has been misled by these dishonest advertisements and I wish social-media platforms made it faster and easier to get them taken down.”
You’ve also likely seen scams that seem to be endorsed by X owner Elon Musk, The Walking Dead actress Lauren Cohan, and Friends star Jennifer Aniston. So how can you stay safe?
Firstly, you need to stay cynical. Social media is full of fake news and clickbait articles, so you should immediately have your guard up. Would David Attenborough really endorse something that goes against his morals? No. Take this skeptical mindset into all your online interactions.
Keep in mind, too, that many celebrities don’t use social media and be wary of impersonators.
If something is a get-rich-quick scheme, it’s probably a scam—especially if it involves cryptocurrency, which cybercriminals like because it’s untraceable. If your browser tells you a site is fraudulent, navigate away from it.
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