CELEBRITY SCAMS

Over the last few weeks, a number of victims have been scammed by criminals claiming to be celebrities such as Aled Jones, Tom Jones, Elon Musk, and various others.

Fraudsters may contact you on social media or dating sites claiming to be a 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 – at your cost. In reality, are such celebrities going to contact someone out of the blue who they do not know?

In other cases, fake websites have been set up with fake product endorsements claiming to be from well-known figures.

How to avoid and report celebrity ad scams

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 can’t always trust a verification tick, but a quick check of the account posting an advert can usually confirm if it’s a fake account.

•    Are you being asked to hand over money or personal information? Don't be tempted to give this information away without checking the authenticity of the advert.

•    Check the web address: If you have clicked on an ad, look at the web address – is it the official site? If there are slight changes in spelling or errors, that’s a red flag for a scam.

•    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  

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?

Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours

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If you’ve fallen for a scam, 
report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk

Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take early action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report Scam mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the scam caller’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks