Criminals are now using celebrity names like Elon Musk and Tom Jones to trick victims into handing over money, police have warned. West Mercia Police urged people in the region to be cautious as high-profile names are used to defraud victims out of their hard-earned cash.
Issuing a warning about celebrity endorsements, the force said criminals may harvest the name of your favourite star from your social media profile to target you. They have even posed as celebrities on dating sites, asking victims to start a relationship, followed by an offer of a holiday — usually at your cost, the police said.
How the Scam Works
In its weekly fraud update from the economic crime team, West Mercia Police explained: In the same way as romance fraudsters use strong and reliable personas such as military or medical personnel to convince victims that they are genuine, the use of celebrity personas to defraud potential victims is also common.
The criminals may use high-profile names of celebrities such as Aled Jones, Tom Jones, Elon Musk, Martin Lewis, and various other well-known personalities. They may even have harvested and used the name of one of your favourite stars from your social media profile if that is public.
One recent posting was from Sir David Attenborough endorsing investment in gold, natural gas, and oil. Does that match up with his green and environmental ethos? Fraudsters may contact you on social media or dating sites claiming to be that star or celebrity of screen, stage, or the pop music scene.
They then ask to start a relationship, followed shortly later by requests for money to their own charity, or in one case a tempting offer of a holiday away with them — usually at your cost. Are such celebrities going to contact someone out of the blue who they do not know?
Fake Websites and Endorsements
In reality, the criminals are exploiting the fact that the so-called investment looks less risky because of its association with that celebrity, police continued. In other cases, fake websites have been set up with fake product and financial product endorsements claiming to be from well-known figures.
Advice to Avoid Falling Victim
West Mercia Police also included advice on how to avoid falling victim to this type of fraud. They said: When you see an advert online featuring a celebrity endorsement, there are a few questions you should ask yourself: Is the celebrity posting from their official profile or account? Or has the advert been posted by a genuine brand account?
You cannot always trust a verification tick, but a quick check of the account posting an advert can usually confirm if it is a fake account. Are you being asked to hand over money or personal information? Do not be tempted to give this information away without checking the authenticity of the advert.
Anyone with suspicions should also check the web address to see if it is an official site. Spelling mistakes or errors should be a red flag for fraud. Police continued: Never click on links if you are suspicious of the content of the website or message, and always research any schemes by checking official websites.
If you are still uncertain, talk to friends or family for a second opinion as they may spot any idiosyncrasies in the content. Finally, do you think that this celebrity is likely to be endorsing that product, or wishing to start a relationship with someone they have never met?
