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Metallica have warned their fans to be wary of cryptocurrency scams using the band's name to draw in potential victims.
A number these have sprung up since Metallica announced their new studio album, 72 Seasons, and the tour behind it. In one reported instance, a 51-year-old man from Manhattan was scammed into transferring over $25,000 in Bitcoin to an unknown suspect by a fake Metallica YouTube channel.
Using counterfeit URLs and account names, the scam promises to double peoples' Bitcoin investments "to celebrate the new album and tour."
The band writes on their social media, "Unfortunately...In the wake of last week’s exciting news...the ugly side of social media made an appearance. Many of you have let us know about YouTube channels and live streams, as well as websites, claiming to offer Metallica Crypto giveaways in conjunction with last week’s announcement."
They say they want to "make clear" that "these are scams. They’re being streamed on fake YouTube channels posing to be ours and all pointing to websites that we do not run." They ask fans to remember that all official Metallica social media channels are verified and to "always look for official verification before believing something wild and crazy to be true."
They thank vigilant fans who have reported these live streams to YouTube and to the band and ask people to not let their guard down. They then provide a list of Metallica's official social media accounts, and ask fans to "be familiar with the symbols that indicate an official channel and report anything that is a scam!" (Louder Sound)
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 - 06:05 PM
Publish Date Timestamp
Tue, 12/06/2022 - 18:05