Warning issued over new Instagram ad scam
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A video ad doing the rounds on Instagram and YouTube has made victims hundreds of thousands of dollars, experts warn.
The ‘heartbreaking’ a minute clip shows an eight-year-old boy named Semion begging for money in Russian to pay for his lung cancer treatment.
It is hosted on a fundraising page that has raised nearly $250,000 (£195,000) in donations from over 8,600 people.
But cybersecurity research firm Avast says the video is a scam and “preys on people’s generosity” and innate desire to help others.
The video is also created hosted on Drove.coma donation advertising platform with “a very low trust score,” according to Scam Advisor.
Cybersecurity research firm Avast found the video, which shows an eight-year-old boy named Semion asking for money to pay for his lung cancer treatment
It was posted to YouTube on May 17 and has since been viewed over 2,300 times.
In the clip, Semion says his family cannot afford the treatment for his cancer, and if he doesn’t get this treatment within the next two weeks, it will be too late to save him.
“I appeal to your hearts,” he pleads. “I don’t want to lie in bed and suffocate.
‘Do not ignore me. Don’t make me lie in bed suffering. I am only 8 years old. I didn’t plan to die at eight years old. Lung cancer can progress and slowly take over my lungs completely.
‘Then even the fan no longer helps. Nothing will help me anymore and the cancer will suffocate me.
“Give me the chance to get the treatment that will save my life.”
The video is in Russian, but there are several versions subtitled in English, French, Spanish and Ukrainian, Avast told MailOnline.
The total amount raised is already 246,920 euros ($270,000 or £212,000) – but this is only about a third of the goal of more than 750,000 euros.
People have left sympathetic comments when giving their donations, one of which said, “God, please bless this child.”
Another said, “Believe in God with all your heart.”
It’s unclear who is behind the clip, but organizers of the fundraising page claim to be from World Champions, an organization in Israel that “provides support for children with cancer.”
The video is also hosted on Drove.com, a donation advertising platform with “a very low trust score,” according to Scam Advisor
Scam Advisor claims that World Champions is a legitimate charity and ‘very unlikely to be a scam’, with a high ‘trust score’ of 92 percent.
However, the fundraising page on Drove.com comes complete with wire transfer details for an individual named Alufei Olam.
The page says Olam is part of World Champions, although there appears to be no record of him on the charity’s website.
Another video starring Semion and his mother has been posted by the World Champions account on Instagram.
The “heartbreaking” clip links to a fundraising page that has raised nearly $250,000 (£195,000) in donations from more than 8,600 people.
MailOnline has reached out to Instagram owners Meta and Google (which owns YouTube) for comment
MailOnline has reached out to World Champions, Instagram owner Meta and YouTube owner Google for comment.
Luis Corrons, a security researcher at Avast, called the video “heartbreaking” but preyed on “the human desire to help others.”
“When it comes to donating, it’s important to verify the authenticity of the organization before transferring money to make sure you’re helping who you think you are,” said Avast researcher Luis Corrons.
“To be on the safe side, go directly to the official websites of trusted organizations to donate instead of responding to calls for donations via emails, videos, or social media ads.”