Scammers continue to distribute fake photos of David ‘Kochie’ Koch who was arrested by the police after his retirement.
The TV veteran, who quit Sunrise earlier this month, has regularly been the face of AI-generated scam images.
A recent image circulating on Facebook shows what appears to be Kochie, 67, smiling as he is arrested and escorted by police.
The image is also plastered with the 9News logo and the phrase, “Breaking News.”
“Why didn’t he tell the truth sooner?” read the fake caption.
Scammers continue to distribute fake photos of David ‘Kochie’ Koch who was arrested by the police after his retirement. The TV veteran, who quit Sunrise earlier this month, has fallen victim to the face of AI-generated scam images
“Kochie didn’t know the camera was still recording… Is this the end of his career?”
Another post sees a badly photoshopped Kochie being worn by police officers on wrists and ankles.
The scandal the [sic] left everyone shocked,” the super read.
It’s not the first time Kochie’s face has been used in an attempt to scam social media users.
Another post sees a badly photoshopped Kochie being worn by police officers on wrists and ankles
He was the subject of multiple cryptocurrency scams that used false reports of his death to scam people out of thousands of dollars.
In April, a sloppily edited photo was shared of Koch looking distraught as police officers dragged him away.
“Thousands flock to ATMs after Kochie’s arrest,” read the false headline.
In the same month, Kochie became the target of a vicious death hoax when criminals used his image and fake news about his passing to swindle thousands of people.
He was bombarded with “tributes” this weekend when a Twitter post announcing his death went viral, Crikey reported.
It’s not the first time Kochie’s face has been used in an attempt to scam social media users
Originating from a hacked account, the tweet contained a link redirecting users to a cryptocurrency scam featuring fraudulent celebrity endorsements purportedly from the likes of Koch, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, and others.
“While saying goodbye is never easy, we take comfort in knowing that Kochie lived a full and meaningful life and left a legacy of kindness, warmth and compassion,” the scam tweet read.
The message was accompanied by a black and white photo of Koch looking distraught with his hands in front of his face.
He has previously been the subject of multiple cryptocurrency scams that used false reports of his death to mislead thousands of people. These hoaxes have now expanded to include misleading links claiming that Kochie has been arrested for financial crimes
The TV veteran was the target of a vicious death scam when criminals used his image and fake news about his passing to scam people out of thousands of dollars
Koch retweeted the post, assuring his followers that despite taking a week off at the time, he was “alive and well.”
‘To be clear, I live and enjoy AFL’s Gather Round in Adelaide with my whole family. This stuff really gives me the s**ts,” he said.
Koch has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) if there is anything he can do about these scams, but was told they will keep popping up if people keep falling for them.
The owner of the Twitter account, Kimberly Ramirez, told Crikey that she “had no idea” that her hacked account was spreading a crypto scam under the guise of paying tribute to Koch.
Koch retweeted the post, assuring his followers that despite taking a week off at the time, he was “alive and well”
She went on to say that she received an email from Twitter alerting her to a login attempt on her account. The email stated that the hacker could have accessed her account from Lake Forest, Illinois.
Kochie officially left Sunrise after a record 21 years on the show. He has been replaced by former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, 44.
“I’ve loved every minute of it and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished here over the last 21 years,” he said during his announcement last month.
“I’ve been privileged to go on so many great adventures, meet so many different people and meet so many different people and have so many moments of history in the making. It really is the most beautiful job in the world.’
Kochie officially left Sunrise after a record 21 years on the show. He has been replaced by former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, 44