As social media continues to thrive as a primary platform for creativity and community-building, content creators are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals.
According to Bitdefender Labs, 2024 saw a surge in malicious activity against creators, with over 9,000 malicious livestreams detected on YouTube alone. These were not isolated incidents—they included attacks on accounts with up to 28.1 million subscribers and 12.4 billion total views.
These compromised accounts, often rebranded to mimic well-known entities like Tesla or SpaceX, were used to host fake livestreams promoting crypto scams or linking to malicious domains.
Bitdefender Labs found more than 350 domains tied to these fraudulent campaigns, with attackers exploiting high-traffic moments such as major US elections or tech events to reach a wider audience.
The tactics are evolving. In early 2025, researchers observed deepfake livestreams featuring public figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, as well as targeted scams during events like the White House Crypto Summit. Bitdefender Labs warned that threat actors continue to innovate, citing fake giveaways and tournament streams as growing threats.
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Public relations teams and creators alike must remain vigilant. Cybercriminals are crafting fake sponsorship proposals disguised as legitimate offers from known brands like Razer or Spotify. These often carry malware designed to steal login credentials or spread further into interconnected platforms such as Instagram or TikTok.
Instagram, in particular, has become a hotspot for phishing attacks. Hackers impersonate Meta Security, requesting verification via fake login pages. Others pose as fans to solicit verification codes, or use fake voting campaigns to trick users into authorising account changes.
Bitdefender advises enabling multi-factor authentication, monitoring account activity, and verifying all sponsorships—especially those tied to trending topics.
Creators with teams should ensure everyone is trained to recognise red flags, as one click could jeopardise an entire channel.
The message is clear: staying informed and cautious is no longer optional—it’s essential.
