A new phishing scam is targeting YouTube creators. The scam features a deepfake “private video” of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan claiming that YouTube is changing its monetization policy. The purpose of the scam is to steal creators’ account credentials.
“YouTube and its employees will never attempt to contact you or share information through a private video,” a YouTube blog post reads. “If a video is shared privately with you claiming to be from YouTube, the video is a phishing scam. Do not click these links as the videos will likely lead to phishing sites that can install malware or steal your credentials.”
Moreover, as Tech Radar point out, the phishing link is located in the private video’s description. The URL reads: “studio.youtube-plus[dot]com.” Tech Radar reports that, from this landing page, users are prompted to confirm the terms of the YouTube Partner Program. If they don’t comply, the site claims creators will lose access and monetization features on their account.
Furthermore, according to Tech Radar, the scam has been active since January 2025 and numerous creators have already fallen for it. Phishers are now, allegedly, using these accounts to broadcast cryptocurrency scams.
