Since TV began in the 1950’s celebrities have been used to sell products and ideas. Now in the internet/social media age their names and images are being used to scam fans. More and more seniors are turning to social media to connect with their children and grandchildren, and they are the most vulnerable segment of the population to scams. They believe what they see and too often click on links or comment on sites that lead them to disastrous fraudulent activity.
Among others, star actors, singers and athletes are being impersonated on social media. Recent searches of country singer Kip Moore found 28 false accounts in his name on Facebook. Trace Atkins has said that women are showing up at his concerts with divorce papers saying they are now free to say yes to his marriage proposal. Oprah has warned fans that fraudulent accounts in her name have asked her fans for money and not to send any. Filmmaker Tyler Perry has uploaded a video on Facebook saying he is not giving away $2 million dollars. And, there are many more celebrities who are being impersonated in social media accounts bearing their name. These scammers are sending messages to fans promising money, tickets, private meetings, love and more for only a small processing fee of a few hundred dollars.
Unfortunately too many people – especially seniors – believe what they see on Facebook and other social media outlets and they are losing their hard-earned money. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in 2017 Americans lost more than $3 million dollars to these types of scams! Facebook has already taken down 583 million fake accounts so far this year. In the month of May alone, Twitter took down 9.9 million accounts.
Hundreds of millions or social media messages are going out every day. It only takes a fraction of a one percent response rate to net billions of dollars to these scammers. Our seniors need help as they navigate the internet. They need to be reminded often that their favorite stars are not going to ask them for money, nor will they give them tickets or propose marriage to them. They need to be educated that no celebrity asks their fans for money for processing or anything else no matter how small the amount. They need to be educated and reminded not to give out their social security or Medicare number, credit card numbers or any personal information such as birth dates, addresses, and email accounts. Additionally it is best to educate them to look for the blue check mark on the top of the page on their screen. It means the platform has been verified that the account is authentic. Let’s help our seniors have safe trips on the internet.
