Posing as a famous person on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has proven to be quite lucrative for many scammers who are able to convince unsuspecting victims to rely on the phony accounts. Setting up a social media account is easy to do for a scammer requiring merely a name, a photo and an email address, all of which can be done to make it appear that the account is that of the real celebrity when, in truth it is that of the scammer. Sometimes the scammer will add a middle initial or a slight misspelling of the name of the celebrity to avoid detection. There are even companies that for a few dollars will set up phony celebrity social media accounts for scammers. Despite the efforts of the various social media companies to try to stop this practice, it continues in great numbers. Facebook estimates that there are as many as 60 million phony Facebook accounts including hundreds of its founder Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook tries to remove the accounts when it becomes aware of them, but they spring up soon again like a game of whack-a-mole.
Recently, Ronnie Flint of Springfield, Ohio got a message on the Messenger App of Facebook that appeared to come from country music rapper Jelly Roll informing Flint that he had won a new car in a lottery. He then received a video which appeared to show Jelly Roll informing him that to claim his prize he needed to send money to pay for shipping costs for the car. This was followed up another video in which Jelly Roll told Flint by name that he needed to send the money through Apple gift cards. Flint who is on disability was convinced and sent the money. Unfortunately, this was an AI created video sent from a phony Jelly Roll Facebook acount and the money was lost forever. This scam is being done throughout the country including in Morrisville, Pennsylvania earlier this summer.
AI has made deepfake videos such as the one used in this scam readily available to scammers in which the voice and image will appear to be that of the celebirty when it is all fake.
TIPS
Facebook has a blue verification badge program that helps people know that a celebrity Facebook page is authentic. The blue check verification badge is used by public figures and media organizations to indicate that Facebook has verified the account as legitimate. Many of the Facebook and other social media scams involve getting something for nothing. Whenever you see one of these free giveaways appear in social media be a little skeptical and don’t provide any personal information. Certainly don’t give away any credit card information and don’t click on unverified links. You should never trust a social media account of a celebrity or anyone for that matter that promises to give you something for nothing. As for Facebook accounts of celebrities always look for the blue check verification. In regard to any contest or giveaway attributed to a celebrity, go to the celebrity’s website in order to confirm if it is legitimate.
Also, it is hard to win a lottery, it is impossible to win one that you have not enterred which was the basis of this scam.
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