The number of scammers posing as celebrities on social media seems to be at an all time high. According to WCPO News in Cincinnati, an Ohio woman found that out the hard way when someone posing as Chris Stapleton on Facebook scammed her out of hundreds of dollars.
After seeing Stapleton in concert at Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center, an Ohio woman "liked" a Stapleton page on Facebook and sent who she thought was Stapleton a personal message. The news station reports that the woman and who she thought was Stapleton began chatting. After the woman shared that she was struggling with health issues, the imposter offered to help her pay for medical bills — with one catch.
The scammer asked the woman to first donate to a "charity," requesting that she send him iTunes gift cards. After she complied and sent over $500 worth of iTunes card numbers, "Stapleton" vanished. The Facebook page was deleted shortly after.
After realizing she had been scammed, the woman decided to go public to warn others to never trust "celebrities" who reach out to you via social media.
The woman has set up a GoFund Me page to help with medical expenses.
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Earlier this year, a slew of country stars spoke out against social media imposters in a PSA warning fans to look for the blue check mark verification next to the artist's name. The video was in response to the growing issue of scammers targeting fans on Facebook and Twitter, often asking for money or personal information.
Nashville For Social Media Safety shared this reminder: "Your favorite artists have not and will not ever ask you for your personal information or anything like that. Know how to spot the signs of fake accounts, report imposters, and help us take charge of this growing issue to protect the best fans in the world."
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