AI is becoming a third wheel in relationships, increasingly playing a role in the most intimate parts of our lives.  

It shows up in the flirty first text, the polished dating profile, the therapized language we use with a partner after a fight, the strength we gather after heartbreak, and everywhere in between. For some, AI is a source of companionship itself. And even if you’re not personally an AI user, you may still be dating, loving, arguing with, or trusting someone who is. 

As AI moves deeper into our relationships, it’s reshaping connection, blurring what feels authentic, and creating new ways for intimacy to be exploited. 

AI is starting to replace human interaction 

AI is moving into emotional territory once reserved for other people. For some, it’s no longer just a tool, but a source of support, companionship, and even romantic connection. 

According to our recent research, about one in six have turned to a chatbot for companionship or emotional support. That climbs to about one in five among Gen Z and Millennials, and nearly one in four among regular AI users (those who use AI daily or multiple times a week). The more time people spend with AI, the more likely they are to humanize its role, making room for it as a friend, confidant, advisor, or even partner.   

As AI takes on more intimate roles, it’s also starting to challenge the boundaries of real human relationships. More than one in three (37%) say having a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot while already in a committed relationship isn’t the same as cheating. That view is more common among men (46% versus 30% of women), Gen Z and Millennials (43% and 45%), and regular AI users (48%). 

Whether the relationship is platonic or romantic, the more AI is treated like a human, the more personal the stakes become. Just like you have to be cautious when telling a human your deepest, darkest secrets, the experience is similar when using AI. Nearly two-thirds (65%) worry that private conversations they’ve had with AI could be exposed.  

One survey respondent said:

“I have used a chatbot…for emotional support, and it is worrying to think those conversations could be leaked.”

The technology may be artificial, but the relationships people form with AI can feel very real. And as with any relationship, that means there are boundaries to work out, privacy to protect, and vulnerabilities to manage. 

AI is creating new ways to weaponize intimacy 

AI’s growing role in human intimacy also has a darker side. The same technology that can offer comfort, advice, or companionship can also be used to violate the most intimate parts of our lives. 

Non-consensual image abuse, sextortion, and other forms of sexual abuse have long been part of the internet’s dark side. Generative AI has made that content easier to create. Someone trying to exploit another person no longer needs an actual intimate photo, video, or private exchange. A regular photo—or even just someone’s likeness—can be transformed into sexual content they never made, never shared, and never consented to. 

Most people draw a clear line against that, but not everyone does. About one in six people say it’s acceptable to generate explicit images of someone without their permission for personal use. Another 14% are neutral, bringing the share who do not explicitly oppose the behavior to nearly one in three (31%).  

Views differ sharply by age and sex: 

• Younger adults are more accepting of someone using AI to generate non-consensual content: nearly one in four Gen Z (24%) and Millennials (23%) say it’s okay, compared with 13% of Gen X and just 5% of Boomers+ 
• Men are also more permissive: more than one in five (22%) say it’s okay, compared with 14% of women 

Attitudes toward the behavior may vary, but the fear of becoming a target is far more widespread. Overall, nearly two-thirds of people (62%) worry someone could create fake nude or sexually explicit photos or videos of them. Women feel this threat more acutely: nearly seven in ten (69%) are concerned, compared with 57% of men. 

For some, this fear has already become a reality:  

• One in ten say AI has been used to generate nude or sexually explicit imagery of them without permission 
• One in ten say someone has threatened to release AI-generated compromising or explicit imagery of them 

As one respondent recounted: 

“I had someone make fake nudes of me using AI on my photos from my social media and threaten to post them on Facebook…[it] made me more cautious about AI.”

The intimate material may be fake, but the fear, coercion, and potential for reputational, emotional, and financial damage are completely real. 

AI is making it harder to know who you’re really talking to  

The threat doesn’t stop with fabricated sexual content. AI is also making it harder to know whether the person on the other side of a screen is who they claim to be. 

Humans have always edited themselves for other people. We choose the most flattering photo, write and rewrite the text before sending it, and present our most interesting selves—especially when forming new relationships. AI dramatically expands what that kind of self-editing can look like, and people aren’t shy about using it: 

• 54% say AI helps them present the best version of themselves  
• 47% say using AI to present your “best self” to employers, friends, or romantic partners does not present a false identity 
• That rises to 58% of both Gen Z and Millennials and 64% of regular AI users 

But where does enhancement end and deception begin? Is an AI-polished dating profile still authentically you? What about a message you didn’t write? A photo that looks like you, only better? 

There’s a flipside to using AI to make ourselves look or sound better: If we can do it, so can everyone else. And people are much less comfortable when they’re not the ones controlling the technology. Two-thirds (67%) worry that an online friend or romantic interest could use AI-generated images, videos, or other content to deceive them.  

Catfishing, fake photos, and lies on dating profiles aren’t new. AI just makes the deception easier. Someone’s photos, backstory, messages, and even their voice can all be faked.  

One person described leaving dating apps after realizing the person they were talking to had gone well beyond simply polishing their profile: 

“[The] dating profile had fake pictures…[it] wasn’t just making true events sound interesting and more flirty, but creating completely false photos and information. Left the dating apps again and needed to reset.”

AI can distort identity in the other direction, too. It can also create a version of us we never chose to put into the world.  

• 76% worry about someone creating a fake profile pretending to be them 
• 70% worry about fake images or videos of themselves being created 
• 71% worry AI-generated content could be used to damage their reputation 

Relationships are built on mutual trust. AI can distort both sides of the connection: who we think the other person is, and who they think we are.  

AI is quietly finding its way into the space between people  

Not all of AI’s influence on intimacy is so dramatic. Much of it happens quietly, showing up in how people communicate with each other and navigate relationships: 

• More than one in three have used AI to help write or edit a message 
• About one in seven have turned to it for advice about a relationship or personal decision 
• One in ten say it has already changed how they date or communicate romantically—rising to nearly one in five among Gen Z 

The survey responses show what this looks like in real life. For example, one respondent described using AI with their partner as a way to step outside their own point of view: 

“Personally, it has helped me. We use AI in our relationship as a reflection tool, and it has sometimes helped us take on the perspective of the other.”

For another, AI helped them work through jealousy:  

“So, I used to accuse my partner, and I got really territorial about them but once I talked to AI about it, they gave helpful advice and now we are stronger than ever.”

AI is also showing up in other difficult relationship moments. One person said it helped them “stay calm and communicate” when problems came up with their partner; another said it allows them “to pause and refine [their] thoughts” before responding. 

Sometimes the role is simpler. One respondent said AI gives them “new romantic words” for their partner, while another said they’ve asked AI for advice on how to make their partner smile. AI’s growing role in relationships may be unsettling, but the benefits people describe are definitely there. 

AI isn’t just helping people find the right words. It’s also helping them decide what version of themselves to put forward in the first place. More than one in three say it’s okay to use AI to create or improve a dating profile; nearly two-thirds aren’t opposed. One respondent described using AI as a “creative advisor” to polish their profile and come up with conversation starters. 

AI doesn’t have to replace a relationship to help shape it. It can influence how people communicate, what advice they take, and how they choose to present themselves.  

AI’s intimacy problem is ultimately a trust problem 

From connection to deception to outright harm, the same question keeps surfacing: Can I trust what’s in front of me? And would I know if I couldn’t? 

Nearly nine in ten people (88%) say AI is making it harder to tell what online content is genuinely human or real. And 84% say even convincing video evidence no longer necessarily feels like proof. That uncertainty follows people into dating and relationships, where knowing what—and who—to trust is deeply personal. 

AI may make it easier to start a conversation, smooth over a hard one, or feel connected when you’re lonely. But relationships and intimacy of all kinds still come down to trust, and AI is making that trust a little harder to take at face value. 

About the research 

The research in this article is based on a March 2026 survey about AI, identity, and the collapse of digital trust and was conducted among 1,500 respondents in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The research was prepared by an independent research consultant and distributed via Forsta. 

Something feel off? Check it before you click.  

Malwarebytes Scam Guard helps you analyze suspicious links, texts, and screenshots instantly.  

Available with Malwarebytes Premium Security for all your devices, and in the Malwarebytes app for iOS and Android.  

Try it free → 

AI is becoming a third wheel in relationships, increasingly playing a role in the most intimate parts of our lives.  

It shows up in the flirty first text, the polished dating profile, the therapized language we use with a partner after a fight, the strength we gather after heartbreak, and everywhere in between. For some, AI is a source of companionship itself. And even if you’re not personally an AI user, you may still be dating, loving, arguing with, or trusting someone who is. 

As AI moves deeper into our relationships, it’s reshaping connection, blurring what feels authentic, and creating new ways for intimacy to be exploited. 

AI is starting to replace human interaction 

AI is moving into emotional territory once reserved for other people. For some, it’s no longer just a tool, but a source of support, companionship, and even romantic connection. 

According to our recent research, about one in six have turned to a chatbot for companionship or emotional support. That climbs to about one in five among Gen Z and Millennials, and nearly one in four among regular AI users (those who use AI daily or multiple times a week). The more time people spend with AI, the more likely they are to humanize its role, making room for it as a friend, confidant, advisor, or even partner.   

As AI takes on more intimate roles, it’s also starting to challenge the boundaries of real human relationships. More than one in three (37%) say having a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot while already in a committed relationship isn’t the same as cheating. That view is more common among men (46% versus 30% of women), Gen Z and Millennials (43% and 45%), and regular AI users (48%). 

Whether the relationship is platonic or romantic, the more AI is treated like a human, the more personal the stakes become. Just like you have to be cautious when telling a human your deepest, darkest secrets, the experience is similar when using AI. Nearly two-thirds (65%) worry that private conversations they’ve had with AI could be exposed.  

One survey respondent said:

“I have used a chatbot…for emotional support, and it is worrying to think those conversations could be leaked.”

The technology may be artificial, but the relationships people form with AI can feel very real. And as with any relationship, that means there are boundaries to work out, privacy to protect, and vulnerabilities to manage. 

AI is creating new ways to weaponize intimacy 

AI’s growing role in human intimacy also has a darker side. The same technology that can offer comfort, advice, or companionship can also be used to violate the most intimate parts of our lives. 

Non-consensual image abuse, sextortion, and other forms of sexual abuse have long been part of the internet’s dark side. Generative AI has made that content easier to create. Someone trying to exploit another person no longer needs an actual intimate photo, video, or private exchange. A regular photo—or even just someone’s likeness—can be transformed into sexual content they never made, never shared, and never consented to. 

Most people draw a clear line against that, but not everyone does. About one in six people say it’s acceptable to generate explicit images of someone without their permission for personal use. Another 14% are neutral, bringing the share who do not explicitly oppose the behavior to nearly one in three (31%).  

Views differ sharply by age and sex: 

• Younger adults are more accepting of someone using AI to generate non-consensual content: nearly one in four Gen Z (24%) and Millennials (23%) say it’s okay, compared with 13% of Gen X and just 5% of Boomers+ 
• Men are also more permissive: more than one in five (22%) say it’s okay, compared with 14% of women 

Attitudes toward the behavior may vary, but the fear of becoming a target is far more widespread. Overall, nearly two-thirds of people (62%) worry someone could create fake nude or sexually explicit photos or videos of them. Women feel this threat more acutely: nearly seven in ten (69%) are concerned, compared with 57% of men. 

For some, this fear has already become a reality:  

• One in ten say AI has been used to generate nude or sexually explicit imagery of them without permission 
• One in ten say someone has threatened to release AI-generated compromising or explicit imagery of them 

As one respondent recounted: 

“I had someone make fake nudes of me using AI on my photos from my social media and threaten to post them on Facebook…[it] made me more cautious about AI.”

The intimate material may be fake, but the fear, coercion, and potential for reputational, emotional, and financial damage are completely real. 

AI is making it harder to know who you’re really talking to  

The threat doesn’t stop with fabricated sexual content. AI is also making it harder to know whether the person on the other side of a screen is who they claim to be. 

Humans have always edited themselves for other people. We choose the most flattering photo, write and rewrite the text before sending it, and present our most interesting selves—especially when forming new relationships. AI dramatically expands what that kind of self-editing can look like, and people aren’t shy about using it: 

• 54% say AI helps them present the best version of themselves  
• 47% say using AI to present your “best self” to employers, friends, or romantic partners does not present a false identity 
• That rises to 58% of both Gen Z and Millennials and 64% of regular AI users 

But where does enhancement end and deception begin? Is an AI-polished dating profile still authentically you? What about a message you didn’t write? A photo that looks like you, only better? 

There’s a flipside to using AI to make ourselves look or sound better: If we can do it, so can everyone else. And people are much less comfortable when they’re not the ones controlling the technology. Two-thirds (67%) worry that an online friend or romantic interest could use AI-generated images, videos, or other content to deceive them.  

Catfishing, fake photos, and lies on dating profiles aren’t new. AI just makes the deception easier. Someone’s photos, backstory, messages, and even their voice can all be faked.  

One person described leaving dating apps after realizing the person they were talking to had gone well beyond simply polishing their profile: 

“[The] dating profile had fake pictures…[it] wasn’t just making true events sound interesting and more flirty, but creating completely false photos and information. Left the dating apps again and needed to reset.”

AI can distort identity in the other direction, too. It can also create a version of us we never chose to put into the world.  

• 76% worry about someone creating a fake profile pretending to be them 
• 70% worry about fake images or videos of themselves being created 
• 71% worry AI-generated content could be used to damage their reputation 

Relationships are built on mutual trust. AI can distort both sides of the connection: who we think the other person is, and who they think we are.  

AI is quietly finding its way into the space between people  

Not all of AI’s influence on intimacy is so dramatic. Much of it happens quietly, showing up in how people communicate with each other and navigate relationships: 

• More than one in three have used AI to help write or edit a message 
• About one in seven have turned to it for advice about a relationship or personal decision 
• One in ten say it has already changed how they date or communicate romantically—rising to nearly one in five among Gen Z 

The survey responses show what this looks like in real life. For example, one respondent described using AI with their partner as a way to step outside their own point of view: 

“Personally, it has helped me. We use AI in our relationship as a reflection tool, and it has sometimes helped us take on the perspective of the other.”

For another, AI helped them work through jealousy:  

“So, I used to accuse my partner, and I got really territorial about them but once I talked to AI about it, they gave helpful advice and now we are stronger than ever.”

AI is also showing up in other difficult relationship moments. One person said it helped them “stay calm and communicate” when problems came up with their partner; another said it allows them “to pause and refine [their] thoughts” before responding. 

Sometimes the role is simpler. One respondent said AI gives them “new romantic words” for their partner, while another said they’ve asked AI for advice on how to make their partner smile. AI’s growing role in relationships may be unsettling, but the benefits people describe are definitely there. 

AI isn’t just helping people find the right words. It’s also helping them decide what version of themselves to put forward in the first place. More than one in three say it’s okay to use AI to create or improve a dating profile; nearly two-thirds aren’t opposed. One respondent described using AI as a “creative advisor” to polish their profile and come up with conversation starters. 

AI doesn’t have to replace a relationship to help shape it. It can influence how people communicate, what advice they take, and how they choose to present themselves.  

AI’s intimacy problem is ultimately a trust problem 

From connection to deception to outright harm, the same question keeps surfacing: Can I trust what’s in front of me? And would I know if I couldn’t? 

Nearly nine in ten people (88%) say AI is making it harder to tell what online content is genuinely human or real. And 84% say even convincing video evidence no longer necessarily feels like proof. That uncertainty follows people into dating and relationships, where knowing what—and who—to trust is deeply personal. 

AI may make it easier to start a conversation, smooth over a hard one, or feel connected when you’re lonely. But relationships and intimacy of all kinds still come down to trust, and AI is making that trust a little harder to take at face value. 

About the research 

The research in this article is based on a March 2026 survey about AI, identity, and the collapse of digital trust and was conducted among 1,500 respondents in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The research was prepared by an independent research consultant and distributed via Forsta. 

Something feel off? Check it before you click.  

Malwarebytes Scam Guard helps you analyze suspicious links, texts, and screenshots instantly.  

Available with Malwarebytes Premium Security for all your devices, and in the Malwarebytes app for iOS and Android.  

Try it free → 

On August 27, YouTube announced that Amazon had joined its Shopping Affiliate Program. Eligible creators can now tag Amazon products in their videos and earn a commission on sales.

Weeks later, we found a wave of sites offering YouTube creators what looks like another Amazon opportunity: an invite-only advertising deal with Amazon Music. The site shows creators their own channel stats, then asks them to “verify” their channel with Google before it reveals a personalized offer.

That verification step is a phishing attempt designed to steal Google sign-in details, putting the creator’s account and YouTube channel at risk.

If you receive one of these offers, don’t enter your Google password or verification codes. If you already have, secure your Google account immediately using the steps below.

What the real Amazon and YouTube partnership looks like

The real partnership lets eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program and YouTube Shopping affiliate program tag Amazon products in their videos, Shorts, and livestreams, and earn a commission when viewers buy. YouTube’s setup guidance also describes linking Amazon and YouTube accounts, with a notification in YouTube Studio once tagging is enabled.

The real program does include a step where you connect and verify your channel. But it happens inside an Amazon account you already have, on Amazon’s own site, and YouTube confirms it in YouTube Studio. It doesn’t involve invite-only Amazon Music ad campaigns, payout calculators, or a third-party “creator portal.”

An invite-only deal that doesn’t exist

The site, hosted at amazonyt[.]com, calls itself the “Amazon Artists Music — Creator Portal.” The name resembles Amazon’s real Amazon Music for Artists service, helping it feel familiar at first glance.

It promises “advertising collaborations with Amazon and Amazon Music,” describes the program as invitation-only, and tells visitors to use “the link from your Amazon Music Artists outreach email.”

There’s even an earnings calculator. You pick one of four packages (a Shorts package, an integration in a planned video, a dedicated video, or a “full campaign package”), set your average views, add “boosters” like extra Shorts or a livestream mention, and choose how exclusive the deal should be. The page then shows an “estimated payout” and compares it with the “endless back-and-forth and delayed payments” of ordinary brand outreach.

The calculator does real math on the numbers you enter. But a working calculator doesn’t make the payout real. The estimates give creators a reason to keep going before the site asks for their sign-in details.

The site is available in nine languages: English, Spanish, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, and Thai, suggesting the operators are targeting creators across multiple countries.

Your own channel, used as bait

Next, the site asks for your YouTube channel link.

Once you paste it, a dashboard displays your real channel data: subscriber count, total views, recent and top-performing uploads, playlists, topics, and thumbnails. Seeing your own data on an Amazon-branded page makes the offer feel tailored to you.

To pull this data, the site queries YouTube’s own public API directly from your browser. The code includes 20 Google API keys and automatically switches to the next one if a key hits its usage limit or is rejected.

This data is public, so looking it up isn’t theft in itself. What it buys the criminals is credibility. A site that knows your subscriber count and your latest upload can look as though someone has already assessed your channel for a deal.

The offer itself stays locked until you “verify” your channel.

The fake “Continue with Google” button

To unlock it, you have to “complete the required step: Verify Your Channel.” The page says you need to sign in with Google to confirm you own the channel and “unlock your Amazon Music collaboration brief,” and shows a familiar white button with the colored Google logo: Continue with Google.

The site does contain genuine Google sign-in code, the same kind legitimate sites use. But it’s inactive: the setting that would connect it to Google is empty, so it never runs.

Instead, clicking the button opens a full-screen frame on top of the page. The frame loads content from a second domain, youtubechannelverification[.]com. Its background is almost completely transparent, so whatever the second site draws appears to sit over the Amazon page. Meanwhile, your browser’s address bar still shows amazonyt[.]com.

This is similar to what we described in our recent look at a fake Claude Max giveaway: when the sign-in window lives inside the page, the criminals control nearly everything you see.

The second-stage code shows what it’s after. In the version we analyzed, it sent the email address and password entered into the form to its own server, and it supported steps for multi-factor authentication (MFA) challenges. In other words, it’s built to collect not just your password but also verification codes that could help the criminals get past an additional layer of account protection.

A fake offer to keep you reassured

What happens next depends on how the second stage responds.

The fake window has no close button of its own. It closes only when the second-stage site tells it to. When that happens, the page displays, “Verification failed. Please try again.”

However, the second-stage configuration we analyzed also pointed to a “success” address back on amazonyt[.]com. Visiting that page marks your channel as verified and returns you to the dashboard, where the offer is now unlocked: a fit score, campaign tier, budget band, estimated reach, and a pitch that quotes your recent average views back to you.

You can even negotiate. A counter-offer editor lets you choose deliverables, toggle social media usage rights, and leave a note for “Amazon Music.” When you click Request this collaboration or submit your counter-offer, a “Request received” screen says the Amazon Music partnership team will review your channel and reach out with next steps.

For the creator who reaches this screen, everything appears to have worked. They verified their channel, saw a convincing offer, and sent a request. That reassuring ending may give the criminals more time before the victim suspects anything.

Why this campaign stands out

Fake sponsorship offers have targeted creators for years. This one combines several features that make the trap more convincing:

• The password collection happens on a second domain. The amazonyt[.]com page itself doesn’t contain the sign-in form. That form is loaded from youtubechannelverification[.]com only after you click. A split like this can make the first page look cleaner to anyone checking it, and it lets the operators change the second stage without touching the lure.
• The success page is designed to evade suspicion. Victims who hand over their details aren’t left at an error page. They’re returned to an unlocked offer and a “Request received” confirmation, giving them a reason to wait for a reply.
• Personalization is automatic. Every visitor gets a dashboard and offer built from their own channel’s real numbers.
• It may be part of a reusable kit. The code contains leftover error messages that have nothing to do with this site, like “Please enter the product ID” and “This channel is not in the list, please connect the invited channel.” The link to the second stage also carries a ref value, which the second-stage code we analyzed stored as a workerCode. That could mean more than one person sends traffic to it, though we can’t confirm how the kit is shared.

Why criminals want YouTube channels

YouTube creators have been a target for years. In 2021, Google’s Threat Analysis Group described a campaign that lured creators with fake collaboration offers, used malware to take over their channels, and then sold them on or used them to broadcast cryptocurrency scams.

A hijacked channel comes with an audience that already trusts it. That gives criminals a ready-made platform for reaching potential victims.

How to spot a fake sponsorship offer

• Treat “verify your channel” requests with caution. Legitimate services may use Google’s official sign-in to confirm channel ownership. The important distinction is where you sign in: Your Google password and verification codes belong on Google’s genuine sign-in page.
• Check the browser’s real address bar. If you’re asked for your Google password, the actual browser tab or separate browser window should show accounts.google.com. An address bar drawn inside the webpage can be faked.
• Check the domain, not the logo. The domains amazonyt[.]com and youtubechannelverification[.]com are part of this phishing campaign. Familiar branding and accurate channel stats don’t make them official.
• Know what the real program offers. The Amazon and YouTube Shopping partnership lets eligible creators earn commissions on tagged products. A supposed Amazon Music sponsorship needs to be verified separately.
• Verify the offer independently. Contact the company through its official website, using contact details you find yourself rather than those supplied in the message.

If you already entered your details

Change your Google password through Google’s official site. Review your devices and sign out of unfamiliar sessions in your Google Account security settings, and remove any third-party apps you don’t recognize. Also check that your recovery email address and phone number haven’t changed.

If you entered an MFA code or approved a sign-in prompt, treat your account as potentially compromised.

In YouTube Studio, check Settings > Permissions for anyone you didn’t add. If your channel is connected to a Brand Account, check that account’s permissions too. If you’ve lost access, follow YouTube’s guidance for recovering a hacked channel, starting with the Google account associated with it.

How Malwarebytes spots scams like this

Once a phishing page loads, the criminals control almost everything you see, which is why it’s best to stop it before it opens. 

Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocks phishing and scam domains before the page can load. If you’re unsure about a sponsorship offer, you can ask Malwarebytes Scam Guard to check it before you reply or click anything.

Indicators of compromise

• amazonyt[.]com
• youtubechannelverification[.]com

Stop threats before they can do any harm.

Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocks phishing pages and malicious sites automatically. Free, one click to install. Add it to your browser →

On August 27, YouTube announced that Amazon had joined its Shopping Affiliate Program. Eligible creators can now tag Amazon products in their videos and earn a commission on sales.

Weeks later, we found a wave of sites offering YouTube creators what looks like another Amazon opportunity: an invite-only advertising deal with Amazon Music. The site shows creators their own channel stats, then asks them to “verify” their channel with Google before it reveals a personalized offer.

That verification step is a phishing attempt designed to steal Google sign-in details, putting the creator’s account and YouTube channel at risk.

If you receive one of these offers, don’t enter your Google password or verification codes. If you already have, secure your Google account immediately using the steps below.

What the real Amazon and YouTube partnership looks like

The real partnership lets eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program and YouTube Shopping affiliate program tag Amazon products in their videos, Shorts, and livestreams, and earn a commission when viewers buy. YouTube’s setup guidance also describes linking Amazon and YouTube accounts, with a notification in YouTube Studio once tagging is enabled.

The real program does include a step where you connect and verify your channel. But it happens inside an Amazon account you already have, on Amazon’s own site, and YouTube confirms it in YouTube Studio. It doesn’t involve invite-only Amazon Music ad campaigns, payout calculators, or a third-party “creator portal.”

An invite-only deal that doesn’t exist

The site, hosted at amazonyt[.]com, calls itself the “Amazon Artists Music — Creator Portal.” The name resembles Amazon’s real Amazon Music for Artists service, helping it feel familiar at first glance.

It promises “advertising collaborations with Amazon and Amazon Music,” describes the program as invitation-only, and tells visitors to use “the link from your Amazon Music Artists outreach email.”

There’s even an earnings calculator. You pick one of four packages (a Shorts package, an integration in a planned video, a dedicated video, or a “full campaign package”), set your average views, add “boosters” like extra Shorts or a livestream mention, and choose how exclusive the deal should be. The page then shows an “estimated payout” and compares it with the “endless back-and-forth and delayed payments” of ordinary brand outreach.

The calculator does real math on the numbers you enter. But a working calculator doesn’t make the payout real. The estimates give creators a reason to keep going before the site asks for their sign-in details.

The site is available in nine languages: English, Spanish, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, and Thai, suggesting the operators are targeting creators across multiple countries.

Your own channel, used as bait

Next, the site asks for your YouTube channel link.

Once you paste it, a dashboard displays your real channel data: subscriber count, total views, recent and top-performing uploads, playlists, topics, and thumbnails. Seeing your own data on an Amazon-branded page makes the offer feel tailored to you.

To pull this data, the site queries YouTube’s own public API directly from your browser. The code includes 20 Google API keys and automatically switches to the next one if a key hits its usage limit or is rejected.

This data is public, so looking it up isn’t theft in itself. What it buys the criminals is credibility. A site that knows your subscriber count and your latest upload can look as though someone has already assessed your channel for a deal.

The offer itself stays locked until you “verify” your channel.

The fake “Continue with Google” button

To unlock it, you have to “complete the required step: Verify Your Channel.” The page says you need to sign in with Google to confirm you own the channel and “unlock your Amazon Music collaboration brief,” and shows a familiar white button with the colored Google logo: Continue with Google.

The site does contain genuine Google sign-in code, the same kind legitimate sites use. But it’s inactive: the setting that would connect it to Google is empty, so it never runs.

Instead, clicking the button opens a full-screen frame on top of the page. The frame loads content from a second domain, youtubechannelverification[.]com. Its background is almost completely transparent, so whatever the second site draws appears to sit over the Amazon page. Meanwhile, your browser’s address bar still shows amazonyt[.]com.

This is similar to what we described in our recent look at a fake Claude Max giveaway: when the sign-in window lives inside the page, the criminals control nearly everything you see.

The second-stage code shows what it’s after. In the version we analyzed, it sent the email address and password entered into the form to its own server, and it supported steps for multi-factor authentication (MFA) challenges. In other words, it’s built to collect not just your password but also verification codes that could help the criminals get past an additional layer of account protection.

A fake offer to keep you reassured

What happens next depends on how the second stage responds.

The fake window has no close button of its own. It closes only when the second-stage site tells it to. When that happens, the page displays, “Verification failed. Please try again.”

However, the second-stage configuration we analyzed also pointed to a “success” address back on amazonyt[.]com. Visiting that page marks your channel as verified and returns you to the dashboard, where the offer is now unlocked: a fit score, campaign tier, budget band, estimated reach, and a pitch that quotes your recent average views back to you.

You can even negotiate. A counter-offer editor lets you choose deliverables, toggle social media usage rights, and leave a note for “Amazon Music.” When you click Request this collaboration or submit your counter-offer, a “Request received” screen says the Amazon Music partnership team will review your channel and reach out with next steps.

For the creator who reaches this screen, everything appears to have worked. They verified their channel, saw a convincing offer, and sent a request. That reassuring ending may give the criminals more time before the victim suspects anything.

Why this campaign stands out

Fake sponsorship offers have targeted creators for years. This one combines several features that make the trap more convincing:

• The password collection happens on a second domain. The amazonyt[.]com page itself doesn’t contain the sign-in form. That form is loaded from youtubechannelverification[.]com only after you click. A split like this can make the first page look cleaner to anyone checking it, and it lets the operators change the second stage without touching the lure.
• The success page is designed to evade suspicion. Victims who hand over their details aren’t left at an error page. They’re returned to an unlocked offer and a “Request received” confirmation, giving them a reason to wait for a reply.
• Personalization is automatic. Every visitor gets a dashboard and offer built from their own channel’s real numbers.
• It may be part of a reusable kit. The code contains leftover error messages that have nothing to do with this site, like “Please enter the product ID” and “This channel is not in the list, please connect the invited channel.” The link to the second stage also carries a ref value, which the second-stage code we analyzed stored as a workerCode. That could mean more than one person sends traffic to it, though we can’t confirm how the kit is shared.

Why criminals want YouTube channels

YouTube creators have been a target for years. In 2021, Google’s Threat Analysis Group described a campaign that lured creators with fake collaboration offers, used malware to take over their channels, and then sold them on or used them to broadcast cryptocurrency scams.

A hijacked channel comes with an audience that already trusts it. That gives criminals a ready-made platform for reaching potential victims.

How to spot a fake sponsorship offer

• Treat “verify your channel” requests with caution. Legitimate services may use Google’s official sign-in to confirm channel ownership. The important distinction is where you sign in: Your Google password and verification codes belong on Google’s genuine sign-in page.
• Check the browser’s real address bar. If you’re asked for your Google password, the actual browser tab or separate browser window should show accounts.google.com. An address bar drawn inside the webpage can be faked.
• Check the domain, not the logo. The domains amazonyt[.]com and youtubechannelverification[.]com are part of this phishing campaign. Familiar branding and accurate channel stats don’t make them official.
• Know what the real program offers. The Amazon and YouTube Shopping partnership lets eligible creators earn commissions on tagged products. A supposed Amazon Music sponsorship needs to be verified separately.
• Verify the offer independently. Contact the company through its official website, using contact details you find yourself rather than those supplied in the message.

If you already entered your details

Change your Google password through Google’s official site. Review your devices and sign out of unfamiliar sessions in your Google Account security settings, and remove any third-party apps you don’t recognize. Also check that your recovery email address and phone number haven’t changed.

If you entered an MFA code or approved a sign-in prompt, treat your account as potentially compromised.

In YouTube Studio, check Settings > Permissions for anyone you didn’t add. If your channel is connected to a Brand Account, check that account’s permissions too. If you’ve lost access, follow YouTube’s guidance for recovering a hacked channel, starting with the Google account associated with it.

How Malwarebytes spots scams like this

Once a phishing page loads, the criminals control almost everything you see, which is why it’s best to stop it before it opens. 

Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocks phishing and scam domains before the page can load. If you’re unsure about a sponsorship offer, you can ask Malwarebytes Scam Guard to check it before you reply or click anything.

Indicators of compromise

• amazonyt[.]com
• youtubechannelverification[.]com

Stop threats before they can do any harm.

Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocks phishing pages and malicious sites automatically. Free, one click to install. Add it to your browser →