No, Your YouTube Account Isn’t Being Demonetized: It’s a Scam

Are you worried that all the hard work you’ve put into your YouTube channel is about to be undone with demonetization? Don’t worry; it’s probably not legitimate if you saw an unlisted video warning you.

What Is the YouTube Demonetization Scam?

The YouTube demonetization scam targets those with a monetized YouTube channel, aiming to scare the victim into handing over the keys to the channel. Scammers send an email featuring an unlisted YouTube video featuring an AI deepfake of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, claiming that YouTube is updating its monetization policy. Unless you sign the form in the scam email, your channel will no longer receive income from YouTube, and your account will be demonetized.

Concerningly, the email looks legitimate at first glance; it comes from a “no-reply” address. However, if you look closely, you’ll see “scoutcamp.bounces” in the Mailed By section. Examining the “mailed by” URL is one way you can easily spot phishing emails.

However, the unlisted YouTube video reveals more red flags when examined closely. Although the channel publishing the listed video has over 1,000 subscribers and a YouTube icon for its profile picture, the username—@ch-crtrs-f9n—is fake.

What to Do if You See the YouTube Demonetization Scam

Although the YouTube demonetization email looks convincing, don’t sign the form. If your channel is really about to be demonetized, you can contact YouTube’s official support team to verify whether this is the case (and why).

Many YouTubers have warned the company’s support team, but you should do the same by forwarding the email to them. Since the video is malicious, I also recommend reporting inappropriate content.

You don’t need to share the email and its content on your social media profile, but doing so might be worthwhile if you have a big enough following.