"In early December 2025, Seth Alvo of Berm Peak, a popular cycling YouTube channel with over 2.5 million subscribers, was made aware that someone had stolen his identity using LLMs like ChatGPT to create false YouTube channel analytics, convincing emails, and defraud bike brands of over $50K in bikes under the pretense that the bikes would be reviewed on the Berm Peak YouTube channel."
"While the scammer successfully obtained bikes from several brands, many companies noticed something suspicious about the communications. They reached out to the Berm Peak communications manager to confirm whether the bike requests were, in fact, legitimate. Thankfully, the team at Berm Peak acted quickly, tracked down the shipping address the scammer was using, and the Greensboro Police Department visited the house. What they found was a pile of bikes, the perpetrator, and his roommates."
In early December 2025, a fraudster used large language models to impersonate Seth Alvo and fabricated YouTube analytics, emails, and review promises. The scammer convinced multiple bike brands to ship more than $50,000 in bicycles by claiming the bikes would be reviewed on the Berm Peak channel. Several brands detected inconsistencies, contacted Berm Peak’s communications manager, and provided a shipping address. Greensboro Police executed a search at that address and discovered a pile of bikes, the suspect, and his roommates. The suspect faces felony charges, some roommates were convicted of related crimes, and stolen inventory was returned to the companies. Berm Peak has nearly 3 million subscribers, which amplified the scam's credibility and potential impact.
Read at BikeMag
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