Scammers Promoted Fake Donald Trump Live Stream Urging Cryptocurrency Donations During Presidential Debate

A large-scale cryptocurrency scam used an AI-generated deepfake of Donald Trump streamed on a fake YouTube channel that amassed ~1.38M subscribers before removal; the livestream promoted donations via a spoof website (donaldtrump.gives) and displayed cryptocurrency addresses and a QR code to solicit funds. The site used official campaign branding and a supposed ‘‘multiplier’’ incentive to lure donors; WHOIS data indicates the domain was registered on the debate day with a Russian registrant. The campaign underscores risks from AI-driven impersonation targeting election-related processes and legitimate campaign donations, though the total victim count and whether displayed transactions were real remain unknown.