Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak files lawsuit against Youtube over Bitcoin Giveaway scam

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against YouTube and Google in connection with the Bitcoin Giveaway scam that has been circulating on YouTube for many months. 

According to the complaint, the scam used images and videos of Steve Wozniak and other celebrities including Elon Musk and Bill Gates. This was a bait to convince YouTube users that the celebrities were hosting a live Bitcoin giveaway for a limited period so that anyone who sends their cryptocurrency would receive twice the amount given. However, nothing was returned.  

It is reported that Wozniak and 17 other individuals from across the world have become victims of the fraud. 

The response from YouTube and Google

However, YouTube and its parent company Google did not respond to the requests to take down the scam videos.  

“If YouTube had acted quickly to stop this to a reasonable extent, we would not be here now,” said Wozniak. 

Twitter was quick to shut down the Bitcoin scam in a day when it was hit with a massive hack of 130 celebrity accounts. However, YouTube knowingly allowed the scam to go on for months and profited from it by selling targeted advertising, said Joe Cotchett, one of the lawyers representing Steve Wozniak and other fraud victims.

All the 18 victims of the scam, including Wozniak, are represented by law firm Cotchett, Pitre, and Mccarthy LLP, California. 

XRP giveaway scam

Earlier this year, a similar case was filed by an American technology company, Ripple Labs, along with CEO Brad Garlinghouse, against YouTube on the grounds of allegations that the video platform had failed to regulate the XRP scam.

The scam used hijacked accounts to fool users into giving away their XRP to gain a greater amount in return.  It resulted in huge monetary damage to users and reputational damage to the company.