Metallica Warn Fans About Crypto Cons Tied to New Album—“Let’s Be as Clear as Possible. These Are Scams”

Metallica warned fans on Monday (Dec. 5) that crypto scammers were attempting to capitalize on their new single with fake giveaways.

“In the wake of last week’s exciting news of our new song, new album, and new tour, unfortunately, the ugly side of social media made an appearance. Many of you have let us know about YouTube channels and live streams, as well as websites, claiming to offer Metallica Crypto giveaways in conjunction with last week’s announcement,” the band wrote.

The band continued, “Let’s be as clear as possible. These are scams. They’re being streamed on fake YouTube channels posing to be ours and all pointing to websites that we do not run. Please remember —all of our official social media channels are verified. Always look for official verification before believing something wild and crazy to be true. We thank all of you who have been vigilant in reporting these live streams to YouTube and to us… please don’t let up!”

Along with the statement, the band included links to all their official social media sites. The r/Metallica Reddit channel is currently keeping an eye on the scammers.

According to a report, a 51-year-old man told the police that he was scammed into transferring $25,000 in bitcoin to a fake Metallica YouTube account.

Earlier this month, the metal legends announced the release date for their 12th studio album, 72 Seasons. The album, set to drop on April 14, 2023, was fronted by their new single “Lux Æterna” and a new run of tour dates for next year.

The band has said of the album, “72 Seasons. the first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves, the concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents, possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today.”

Photo: Tim Saccenti / Nasty Little Man