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Input Output Group (IOG) YouTube Channel Hijack – Deepfake Hoskinson Giveaway Scam

avoid.net/input-output-group-iog-youtube-channel-hijack-deepfake-hoskinson-giveaway-scam→5/100·82% conf.
[AI-DRAFTED · AWAITING VERIFICATION]

Auto-generated score, not yet verified against the scoring model. Under review — treat as indicative, not a verdict.

anchored·4J7Yp4…W9LC

Summary

On September 18, 2026, unknown attackers hijacked the official YouTube channel of Input Output Group (IOG), the core development company behind the Cardano blockchain, and broadcast an approximately two-hour fraudulent livestream. The broadcast used suspected AI-generated video of IOG founder Charles Hoskinson to impersonate a Project Catalyst town hall and solicit cryptocurrency from viewers via QR code, promising to double any ADA sent. IOG and Hoskinson publicly warned users not to engage with channel content, and IOG confirmed it was working with YouTube to recover the account. This incident was not an attack on the Cardano blockchain or user wallets; it was a social-media account compromise targeting IOG's YouTube presence.

Connected Entities

3 entities · 60 linked investigations
Organizations
□Input Output Group (IOG) YouTube Channel Hijack – Deepfake Hoskinson Giveaway Scam□Cardano72□Solana62
Relationships
  • Input Output Group (IOG) YouTube Channel Hijack – Deepfake Hoskinson Giveaway Scam→mentioned with→Cardano(80%)
  • Input Output Group (IOG) YouTube Channel Hijack – Deepfake Hoskinson Giveaway Scam→mentioned with→Solana(65%)
  • Cardano→mentioned with→Solana(65%)
Also appears in
Cardano·72Jump Trading·42OpenZeppelin AI Exploit Threat Vector·15Shibarium·28Sky (MakerDAO)·51SIGMA Bot·4Crossmint·70Teraswitch (Solana validator hosting concentration incident)·52Socket Security Malicious Browser Extension Campaign August 2026·2Ansem / $ANSEM ("Black Bull") creator-coin controversy·38+ 50 more

Connected Through

2 shared actors · 392 investigations

Distinct actors this investigation shares with others — holders, traders, and named parties. Shared infrastructure (exchanges, pools) is excluded.

Have evidence about Input Output Group (IOG) YouTube Channel Hijack – Deepfake Hoskinson Giveaway Scam?

Timeline(3 events)

8 December 2024

Cardano Foundation's official X account was compromised. Attackers posted a fabricated Solana-based token ($ADASOL) and a false claim that the SEC had filed a lawsuit against the Foundation. The fake token generated over $500,000 in trading volume before the scam was identified.

The Block

18 September 2026

Unknown attackers hijacked IOG's official YouTube channel and began broadcasting a fraudulent approximately two-hour livestream featuring suspected AI-generated video of Charles Hoskinson, impersonating a Project Catalyst town hall and soliciting ADA via QR code.

CoinTelegraph

18 September 2026

IOG posted a public advisory on X urging all users to avoid interacting with the YouTube channel until further notice, warning against sending funds or clicking links. Charles Hoskinson separately confirmed the breach on X and stated IOG was working with YouTube to remove content and restore channel credentials.

crypto.news
Provenance & Audit Trail
Anchored on SolanaVerify on-chain9 Wayback Archives

Decision Log

This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (1 event). 9 of 11 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.

full audit log →version history →

model: claude-sonnet-4-6

generated: 9/18/2026, 12:12:33 PM

last updated: 9/18/2026, 3:51:41 PM

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