Elon Musk Is Leaving Tesla For Bitcoin Profit, According To A Fake CNN Site Hoax
A new hoax claims that Elon Musk is leaving Tesla to start a bitcoin company. According to Fox News, the hoax is using a site, which appears like the CNN’s tech section to give the impression that the news is genuine.
The false report states that Musk is leaving his position as the CEO of Tesla so he can focus on “Bitcoin Profit,” which is described as “a new company that he thinks will change the world.”
Links to the hoax site redirect unsuspecting users to adverts or video streaming sites, according to the Associated Press report published by Fox News.
A spokesperson for Tesla and CNN both confirm that the report is false.
The false report is part of a concerted effort to take advantage of the entrepreneur’s PR nightmare.
Fraudsters on Twitter is capitalizing on Elon Musk’s recent apology to try and convince users to spend bitcoin in exchange for Tesla cars.
The scammers are using an account with a similar name and profile to Elon Musk, which involves pretending as though Musk is making an offer to make amends for the fallout of his Twitter spat by convincing users to spend their bitcoin, according to The Sun.
Musk came under fire for tweeting that a British Thai cave rescuer, Vernon Unsworth, was a “pedo guy” in response to criticism from the British diver about the functionality of his “kid-size submarine.”
Musk apologized for his comments as well as justified his initial reaction.
“As this well-written article suggests, my words were spoken in anger after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub, which had been built as an act of kindness & according to specifications from the dive team leader.”
Elon Musk can’t stop tweeting, but so far it doesn’t matter https://t.co/7rdk8bbIMs pic.twitter.com/jy3q9RzO61
— The Verge (@verge) July 19, 2018
Unsworth stated that he believed Musk’s submarine had “absolutely no chance of working.”
The diving expert also added that Musk can “stick his submarine where it hurts,” during an interview in Thailand, which Musk referenced in his apology.
The Tesla CEO continued in a follow-up tweet.
“Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that, I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone.”
The 47-year-old, who has an estimated net worth of $20 billion, previously stated that he does not own any cryptocurrency.
Elon Musk has taken to Twitter several times to dispute news reports about his company most recently challenging a rumor that the Tesla Model 3 cancellations have affected the company’s stock.
