Scams using images of celebrities to endorse false money-making schemes are on the rise. Last year, Holly and Phil’s images were fraudulently used, with one victim losing over £370,000 to a cryptocurrency investment con which impersonated them.
Despite having no involvement in these scams, the images and reputations of famous faces are being abused by fraudsters. So how can you tell the difference between genuine endorsement and a con? Alexis Conran reveals what to look out for and how to avoid becoming a victim of celebrity scams.
What are the scams to look out for?
Scammers are pretending to be celebrities to get you to give your money and invest in something such as diet pills or bitcoin. Sometimes the scammer will pretend to be a company saying that a celebrity endorses this product, to convince you to send money to them.
Fake news articles: One example is a fake Guardian article that appeared to contain a report about Phillip’s appearance on the Graham Norton show. It contained a transcript in which Phillip stated that if he was sent £250, he could make the customer a million pounds in 12-13 weeks by trading cryptocurrencies.
Fake Instagram account: Another example is an Instagram account copying a celebrity’s profile, such as Holly’s profile and bio being copied word for word. + Fake products being advertised: There are also dodgy ads using celebrities such as Deborah Meaden, endorsing weight loss pills. Anne Hegerty from The Chase and Lorraine Kelly have also been used in diet pill scams.
Fake emails: Another example is fake emails claiming to be from MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) using the website name ‘mseoptions.com’. One victim lost £317,000 to a fake advert featuring Martin promoting a “Bitcoin evolution”.
How can we spot the scam?
The bio feels off: If the bio doesn’t read well or has plenty of emojis in it, it may be a spam account. Also if there’s any mention of crypto currency, trading or money it’s unlikely to be a real account.
The username doesn’t seem right: Check what the username is on the page and if it feels a bit off, then you should question it. For example, a celebrity’s account might not have a number after it such as Una Healy52 or PaulHollywood4083. While scammers can copy other parts of a celebrity’s Instagram account, the one thing they can’t copy is the username.
All of the posts are from the same date: There are apps that scammers use to copy an entire profile including the profile pictures and all of the posts. One thing to watch out for is if the photos are all posted on the same day which in most cases will be a recent date.
The convincing bio: The bio on an Instagram page might say something like ‘I have a verified page run by my management and this page is for me to communicate with fans’. This can be quite convincing and will allow the person being scammed to let their guard down and think a celebrity is trying to contact them.
The web address may be incorrect: In the case of the fake article – look at the web address. It will appear legit, but if you look closely, you will spot slight changes or spelling mistakes. The same goes for the Martin Lewis money scam, double check that the website referenced is the web address you’re familiar with.
Are they a verified user? If they have a blue Tick on Instagram, then they are verified. There are other ways that scammers can make you think they have a verified account such as using an emoji beside their name that looks like a blue tick.
Does this celebrity even use social media? Also question whether this celebrity has Instagram. Someone like Jennifer Lawrence speaks openly about not using Instagram, so if you think the page looks legit, make sure you question this fact.
What to do if you think you’re being scammed: If you have been contacted by a scam page or think you may have been a victim of fraud, here’s what Alexis suggests you do:
Talk to your friends: Ask your friends what they think about the advert/page/ article to see if they think there is anything dodgy with it.
Contact action fraud: You can report fraud, cyber crime and concerns to Action Fraud online or by phone.
Contact your bank: If you have sent money to someone you believe to be a fraudster, contact your bank immediately to let them know.
Ask yourself if this is likely: One of the best lines of defence against scammers in this instance is ‘Is this likely?’. What are the chances that a celebrity will reach out to you having never met you to ask you to send them money?