Let this article be your warning: If Jelly Roll sends you a message saying you won some cash and a brand-new car, then it's a scam.
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An elderly Ohio man was recently targeted by an AI-generated impersonation of the "Save Me" singer. The victim now hopes his experience will prevent others from falling for similar schemes.
How Did This Happen?
When Ronnie Flint received a message on Facebook saying he had won $50,000 and a brand-new car, even he didn't believe it at first. It was even accompanied by an image of Jelly Roll's official driver's license.
The Springfield, Ohio, resident was then sent a video showing someone resembling the singer, who addressed him by name and asked him to pay for shipping the prizes.
According to WDTN-TV, it was the second video that convinced him.
"When they sent the second video where he actually said my full name, that got me," Flint told reporters. "I was like, wow, it really is Jelly Roll. He said my name."
Despite being on a fixed income, Flint sent the account $70 in Apple gift cards.
"I even told him that I'm on disability. You know, this is all the money that I have for the rest of the month," said Flint.
Thankfully, Someone Told Him That Wasn't Jelly Roll
It was a family member who told Flint he was being scammed. He then filed a police report. However, he continues to receive messages from the account asking for additional funds.
To help others avoid Flint's experience, the Federal Trade Commission recommends looking for these four warning signs.
1. Scammers will pretend to be from an organization you know.
2. Scammers often say there's a problem or a prize.
3. Scammers will pressure you to act immediately.
4. Scammers will ask you to pay in a specific way, such as a gift card.
Other country stars, such as Lainey Wilson, have spoken out about these types of scams.
She said, "The amount of messages I get about...people who think that they are actually in a relationship with me and stuff because somebody's pretending to be me. It's really bad. I've ruined a couple of marriages on accident and didn't even mean to. They're like, 'My husband of 30 years believes he's talking to you and this and that and whatever.'
"There's literally nothing I can do, besides telling y'all about it."
Photo by AFF-USA/Shutterstock
