Celebrities have been spokespeople for products and charities for a long time. Unfortunately, scammers are using this to try and steal your money. Here are tips on what to look for and how to protect yourself from being scammed.
Social Media
If you get a message from an account on social media that looks like they are connected to a celebrity there are a few things to look for. Make sure it is a verified account, usually marked with a blue checkmark. Also, look at the spelling of the account name. If there are spelling errors, strange punctuation or symbols, it’s a fake. Another sign it’s a scam is the promise of a major prize if you donate or respond. Online scammers can be tricky, don’t fall for this one.
Fake Endorsement
Many legitimate companies use celebrities to push their products or causes. However, scammers can piece together footage or audio of a celebrity to make it look like a real commercial. By doing this, they can entice fans and followers of these famous people to purchase a fake item or donate to a fraudulent charity. Whatever is being endorsed, make sure you do some research before you open your wallet. The fakes are easy to find, you just have to look them up.
News Alerts
There are celebrity hoaxes in the news all the time. Scammers will use this to post fake alerts about accidents or even celebrity deaths, hoping to get clicks from concerned fans. They will post links that could lead to viruses, or give them access to your personal information. If you see some “breaking news” about a celebrity you follow make sure it’s from a reputable news source, or better yet, just search if the event happened on your own.
Search It
The easiest way to see the different scams going on using celebrities is to search a famous person’s name with the word scam. This will find all the different ways the celebrity’s likeness or voice are being used. If you know you would likely donate to a cause or purchase something if someone you follow endorses it, search their name with scam, and protect yourself.
Stay informed with SeaComm’s Fraud Center. As your credit union, we want to keep you and your finances safe. That’s why we created our Fraud Center, which includes valuable resources to help educate and empower our members to protect their assets and identities. Click here to get started.