Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak is leading a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company Google, accusing the tech giants of allowing the spread of a scam that has fleeced Bitcoin investors by using Wozniak’s image to convince them to send cryptocurrency to online crooks, reports Law360 (a subscription is required to read the entire article).
Scammers used images and video of Wozniak to convince YouTube users that he was hosting a live giveaway and anyone who sent him bitcoins will get double the number back, according to the lawsuit. But when users transferred their cryptocurrency, in an irreversible transaction, they receive nothing back, it alleges
The scam also uses the names and images of other tech celebrities, including Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, according to the suit.YouTube has been “unresponsive” to Wozniak’s repeated requests to take down the fraudulent videos, he said.
