Fake CBC News Ads on X Platform Uncovered as Sophisticated International Scam Targeting Canadians
A recent surge of deceptive advertisements masquerading as CBC News articles has flooded the social media platform X, ensnaring Canadians in a complex scam operation leveraging Russian internet infrastructure. CBC News’ visual investigations unit has meticulously traced the digital footprint of these ads, uncovering a convoluted path leading from a small internet provider in Barrie, Ontario, to servers in the Netherlands and Russia, exposing a network of spoofed accounts mimicking legitimate local businesses to spread the fraudulent content.
The ads often employ sensationalized headlines featuring prominent Canadian political figures like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, exploiting their public recognition to attract clicks. Users who engage with these ads are redirected to fabricated CBC-style articles containing fake interview transcripts. One such example involves a fictitious interview with Poilievre on the Radio-Canada program Tout le monde en parle, where he falsely claims to have amassed wealth using a cryptocurrency platform called "Quantum AI pro," even offering to turn a $300 investment into a million dollars in mere months.
This deceitful narrative then leads users to the Quantum AI website, promoting the supposed riches attainable through Bitcoin investments while simultaneously denying any fraudulent intent. Registering on the platform directs users to yet another page prompting contact with a "customer support worker" for depositing funds, the crucial step in the scam where victims are relieved of their money. Similar "Quantum AI" schemes, often featuring high-profile figures as bait, have been reported across the globe, from Hong Kong and Australia to the United Kingdom. One documented case in Australia saw a victim lose over $72,000 to this deceptive operation. Law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies in Canada have also issued warnings about Quantum AI, identifying it as an investment scam. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre confirms that a significant portion of investment scam reports involve cryptocurrency schemes originating from online advertisements, mirroring the tactics observed in this campaign.
The investigation into the technical underpinnings of these fake ads revealed a complex web of internet infrastructure. Two websites hosting the counterfeit CBC articles were traced to an IP address registered to Velcom, an internet provider in Barrie, Ontario. Velcom, however, claims ignorance of the scam and states that it leases its IP addresses to various businesses through a Texas-based intermediary called IPXO. While the server hosting the site is currently located in the Netherlands, it previously resided in the Moscow area until October, and the website’s name server still points to St. Petersburg, Russia. This Russian connection, however, doesn’t definitively indicate the scammers’ nationality.
Beyond the technical aspects, the investigation also scrutinized the X accounts disseminating these ads. While initially appearing to belong to small businesses in the U.S. and the U.K., many were found to be impersonations. Gunter Creative, a graphic design company near Houston, was one such victim. The owners confirmed they had no official presence on Twitter or X, and expressed bewilderment at being targeted, questioning the rationale behind impersonating their relatively small business. The scammers’ motive, according to J.D. Gunter, likely stems from a desire to leverage the legitimacy conferred by associating with real businesses, lending credibility to their fraudulent scheme.
Unlike previous cryptocurrency scams on X that often hijacked older, hacked accounts, this campaign appears to employ a new tactic. The accounts promoting the fake ads were predominantly created in January 2025, specifically impersonating legitimate businesses. These accounts also exhibited another peculiar trait – they were all subscribed to X Premium, meaning each fake account contributes at least $8.75 per month to X, potentially amounting to hundreds of dollars monthly just for the accounts identified by CBC News. This investment suggests a calculated financial strategy on the scammers’ part, potentially indicating a substantial return on investment from their deceptive operations.
The sophisticated nature of this scam, combining intricate technical infrastructure with social engineering, highlights the evolving challenges in online safety and the increasing need for vigilance against such deceptive practices. The exploitation of legitimate news organizations’ branding, coupled with the impersonation of real businesses, further underscores the sophisticated tactics employed by these scammers to lure unsuspecting victims. The lack of response from X to requests for comment raises concerns about the platform’s accountability in addressing such fraudulent activities and protecting its users. This incident underscores the importance of critical thinking and verifying information from reliable sources before engaging with online content, especially those promoting investment opportunities. The financial and reputational damage caused by these scams calls for increased vigilance and proactive measures from social media platforms and law enforcement agencies to combat this growing threat.
