Elon Musk bitcoin giveaways and other celebrity crypto scams

The Elon Musk bitcoin giveaways, MrBeast crypto offers and Martin Lewis trading-app ads you see online are fakes. The giveaway promises to multiply any crypto you send to a wallet and keeps whatever arrives. The "celebrity-backed" trading platforms in these ads collect your phone number and then push you to deposit. Between October 2020 and March 2021, US consumers reported losing more than $2 million to Elon Musk impersonators alone, and people reported $9.3 billion in crypto-related internet crime losses to the FBI in 2024. If you have already paid, skip to what to do if you sent money.

Why scammers use Elon Musk, MrBeast and Martin Lewis

A famous name lends trust before you have checked anything, and scammers match the name to the audience.

• Elon Musk is used for crypto. In its data spotlight of 17 May 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said consumers had sent "more than $2 million in cryptocurrency to Elon Musk impersonators over just the past six months". Ads claiming Elon Musk has a new cryptocurrency use the same trick.
• MrBeast is used for giveaways. In July 2023, Which? found scam ads on YouTube that copied his branding so viewers believed they came from his team. A MrBeast crypto offer in an ad copies that pattern.
• Martin Lewis is used for UK investment scams. MoneySavingExpert reported a deepfake video of him on 7 July 2023, and Which? described a chain of fake Elon Musk and Martin Lewis endorsements that led to a "fake cryptocurrency firm".

The celebrities are the victims here. None of them runs or endorses these offers.

The formats celebrity crypto scams take

Celebrity crypto scams come in four formats. Each has one test that catches it.

The "send crypto, get double back" giveaway

A fake livestream, video or post promises to multiply whatever crypto you send to a wallet address. The FTC describes these giveaways as promising to "immediately multiply the cryptocurrency you send". People then find they sent their crypto straight to a scammer. The test: any offer that needs you to send crypto to get more back is this scam.

Treat any "Elon Musk crypto wallet" address shown in an ad as the scammer's wallet.

The celebrity-backed trading robot or "AI" platform

This format starts with a deepfake video or a fake news article and ends at a sign-up form. In July 2023, a deepfake of Martin Lewis promoted an investment called "Quantum AI", labelled "Elon Musk's new project". MoneySavingExpert stated that Martin "NEVER does adverts and NEVER promotes investments".

After you enter your details, a caller claiming to be a broker typically phones and asks for a deposit. The test is whether you reached the page from an ad or a message rather than by searching for the company yourself. You can read how this works in our guide to fake trading robots.

Fake MrBeast giveaways and "MrBeast crypto coin" offers

Scammers copy MrBeast's branding to look like his team and promise cash giveaways. Which? quoted one pitch as "I'm giving away $1,000 to everyone who visits this page".

Apply the same test to any "mr beast crypto coin" offer: treat any MrBeast giveaway, coin or token that asks you to deposit crypto or pay first as fake.

Impersonation calls that end at a Bitcoin ATM

Some scams use no celebrity at all. In an Amazon crypto scam, a caller or text reports "suspicious activity on your Amazon account" or unexpected bank charges, then pressures you to move cash into a Bitcoin ATM. The FTC warned about this pattern in its consumer alert of 3 September 2024: "Real businesses and government agencies will never do that."

The FTC's advice is never to withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message, and to contact your bank on a number you already know.

How this domain used fake celebrities between 2020 and 2026

This site knows the pattern from the inside. From 2020 until March 2026, this domain hosted a trading robot funnel called Bitcoin Billionaire. Archived pages show how it worked.

• The 6 August 2020 snapshot headlined the false promise "Earn $6,325 daily with Bitcoin Billionaire? It's possible" and displayed CNN and McAfee logos.
• The same page carried testimonials attributed to Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, John McAfee, Steve Jobs, 50 Cent and Childish Gambino. The names were there to build trust.
• The sign-up form passed your details to "third parties providing trading services". In archived versions from 2023, a consent box shared name, email and phone number with "investment education firms, data brokers and intermediaries".

The scheme reached Spain too. On 31 December 2024, VerificaRTVE debunked a fake RTVE.es page. It used a deepfake of the 24 Horas presenter Lluís Guilera and a fake endorsement from Florentino Pérez to promote "Bitcoin Millonario / Bitcoin Billionaire". The page made the false promise of "35.000 euros al mes" and asked for a first deposit of 250 euros. VerificaRTVE noted that the platform is not authorised in Spain.

The domain has since changed hands, and this site is now independent education with no app, no sign-up and no trading. Read what the Bitcoin Billionaire scheme was and the history of this domain for the full record.

How to spot an Elon Musk bitcoin or MrBeast crypto scam in under a minute

Check these points before you click, send or sign up. They fit every format above and follow the pattern in how crypto scams work.

• It asks you to send crypto first. A giveaway that needs your coins is theft, as in the Elon Musk bitcoin pattern the FTC described.
• It promises fixed daily earnings. The 2020 page of this domain promised "$6,325 daily", and the Spanish version promised 35,000 euros a month. Treat any promise of fixed daily earnings as a scam signal on its own.
• You reached it from an ad. The Quantum AI chain started with a video and moved to a fake news page and a form.
• There is pressure or a countdown. Treat a deadline as pressure to stop you checking.
• Contact moves to a phone call or WhatsApp. In the trading-robot format a caller often phones after the form, and the Amazon scam begins with a call.
• The person's own channel says nothing. Martin Lewis "NEVER does adverts", so a Martin Lewis ad is fake on its face. For any celebrity, look at their verified account or official website, not the ad.

What to do if you sent money or your details

1. Stop paying. Do not send more, whatever reason you are given.
2. Contact your bank or card issuer. Use the number on your card or one you already know, never a contact from the ad or the call. Never withdraw cash because of an unexpected call or message.
3. Change your passwords if you entered details on a site, and expect calls and messages afterwards.
4. Expect a second approach. Treat anyone who promises to get your crypto back for an upfront fee as a likely second scam. Our page on recovery scams explains the pattern.

Where to report a celebrity crypto scam in the US and UK

United States - Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. - Report internet crime to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

United Kingdom - In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, use Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. It replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025 and the phone number is unchanged. The GOV.UK announcement calls it "a new service that replaces Action Fraud", so older pages that still name Action Fraud are out of date. - In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

In both countries, also report the ad or post on the platform where you saw it, for example through YouTube's reporting option. In July 2026, Ofcom proposed nearly 40 measures in a draft fraudulent advertising code under the Online Safety Act, which would make large platforms responsible for paid scam ads.

Frequently asked questions