Colombia’s President Used For Crypto Scam On The Internet

The con artists claimed Duque had signed "the biggest deal of the century" to launch Bitcoin Era. They promised the platform would provide relief from the coronavirus-triggered economic collapse. According to the pitch, users could begin earning money through cryptocurrency investment. To make it convincing, the scammers created an interview with Diego García, presented as the company's chief executive, who detailed how the system operated.

Fake reviews padded out the website. One reviewer named José Ruiz claimed to have participated. But the scheme fell apart when examined closely.

Scammers lifted the executive interview directly from Crypto Genius, a previous scam. The photo labeled as García actually showed Pete Accetturo, a voice-actor and YouTuber. The picture José Ruiz used in his review belonged to Adán Cortés, a Mexican student. Cortés became known when he interrupted the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honoring Afghan activist Malala Yousafzai. He explained he acted to inform people about violence in Mexico.

Similar schemes have victimized X-Factor performer Rylan Clark-Neal, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, British journalist Martin Lewis, and television chef Gordon Ramsay. Earlier this summer, the Twitter hack compromised more than 130 verified accounts, another sign of how extensively bad actors operate across social platforms.