Scammers very rarely use their real identities and often sweeten their charade by simulating a celebrity. The influence these figures have and the exciting prospect of communicating with them can blind rational thinking and lead targets to financial and emotional distress.
The entire world heard about the French woman who gave roughly $855,000(1) to a scammer using AI-generated content to facilitate a Brad Pitt romance scam. Johnny Depp had to make a statement on his Instagram explaining that none of his legitimate accounts would ever reach out to fans requesting money or personal information(2).
These are not rare cases. In 2023, impersonation scams accounted for nearly half of all fraud reported to the FTC and eclipsed $1.1 billion in losses(3). Many people want to believe they are romantically involved with their celebrity crush or have received insider investing information from a billionaire.
These impersonation scams can cause monumental damage to the victim’s wallet, reputation, and mental wellbeing. They can trick an individual into parting with all of their assets and divulging information that eternalizes blackmail and sextortion. Understanding how these scams work is essential to avoiding their limitless impact.
How Celebrity Impersonation Works
The advancement of the internet and technology have opened many avenues for cybercriminals to piggyback off a celebrity’s notoriety. What used to take some level of technical know-how and time investment can be constructed using free automated software.
Combine this with the rapid expansion of social media and it’s no wonder why celebrity-based scams are so common. With virtually unlimited options for contacting large audiences of people and the ability to convincingly alter digital media, it has never been easier for scammers to impersonate celebrities.
Fake Social Media Accounts
It takes minimal time and effort to create a new social media account. Depending on the dedication of the scammer, extremely convincing duplicate celebrity profiles can be fabricated. With the amount of information on celebrities available online, perpetrators can easily assume the role of these public figures online.
With Twitter now allowing for purchase of verification through their premium subscription service, it has never been easier for scammers to create fake accounts and more difficult for targets to distinguish them from real ones. Scammers can even generate videos of celebrities endorsing these fake accounts, which brings us to our next tactic.
Deepfake Videos
The development of AI technology has brought about an explosion of celebrity deepfakes used for impersonation scams. These videos can be used to endorse shady investment ventures or to springboard a celebrity romance scam.
Deepfake explicit content of celebrities can also be used to initiate sextortion scams. With the margin between real and digitally-altered content becoming increasingly indistinguishable, scammers can easily masquerade as celebrities to propel their ploys.
Fraudulent Endorsements
Thanks in large part to the advance of deepfakes, there has been a surge in fake celebrity endorsements in recent years. These scams advocate a variety of interests ranging from products you’ve never heard of to political candidates.
The platform that these figures have grants them the ability to sway the opinions of millions of people. This influence is an attractive asset to individuals trying to push an agenda or make a quick buck.
Phishing Scams
Phishing attacks typically involve the scammer portraying themselves as a bank, government agency, or large corporation. However, these scams can also disguise themselves behind the identity of a celebrity.
Perpetrators may reach out to a target through an email or via social media endorsing an investment scam or offering a false romantic relationship. They can use this connection to obtain personal information or intimate content that can be used for online blackmail or sextortion.
The Loss from Celebrity Impersonation Scams.
These scams can become an indefinite investment for the victims both financially and emotionally. Celebrity romance scams have cost individuals their life savings, houses, and real-world relationships. Celebrity investment scams hold the power to drain retirement funds and ruin lives.
These attacks often target individuals who are less technologically savvy and won’t recognize fake profiles, digitally altered content, and poorly worded messages. However, the advance of AI technology has made it progressively difficult to differentiate real and fake.
In just the early months of 2025, there have been multiple examples of scammers using the discussed tactics to steal celebrity identity perpetuate a faux romantic relationship or act as a shill for a phony investment. These schemes have caused unrest for both the targets and the celebrities being impersonated.
Sandra Bullock Fake Social Media Accounts:
Last month, Sandra Bullock made a statement to People Magazine explaining to fans that she does not have any social media presence and any accounts reaching out as her belonged to impersonation scammers.
This came just a few days after her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, posted to Instagram explaining she’d been reporting multiple accounts impersonating her to Meta’s support team with no results. The post went on to explain that men had sent thousands of dollars to romance scammers posing as her sister.
Both Bullock sisters explained that they are currently working with local law enforcement due to a lack of response from the social media platforms. They explained further details would be disclosed at a later date, but current focus is going toward the ongoing investigation(4).
Elon Musk Investment Scam
Elon Musk’s financial status and position in the realm of tech and cryptocurrency have made him a viable deepfake puppet for pushing sham investments. One instance involved a 5-hour livestream that peaked at over 30,000 viewers promoting a crypto scam(5).
Over the course of last year, a retired hospice nurse from Houston named Joseph Ramsubhag lost his entire retirement savings of over $300,000 to one of these celebrity investment scams endorsed by Musk(6). After multiple requests to withdraw the investment were denied, Ramsubhag realized he would not be able to recover his lost funds.
Currently, Musk’s likeness has been used to push a deceitful supplement claiming to cure diabetes. Touting a 30-second “fridge trick” which led Big Pharma to put a $78 million bounty on Musk’s head, these deepfake videos have procured thousands of sales in recent months(7).
Kim Kardashian California Wildfire Scam
Kim Kardashian was just one of many figures that were impersonated in scams revolving the Los Angelos Wildfires in January. The reality tv star posted a series of Instagram stories warning her fans of phishing emails posing as a fundraising campaign in her name.
The emails, which display common characteristics of phishing scams such as poor grammar and spelling and generic formatting, came from the address “kimkardashiancampaign@gmail.com” and contained requests for donations from her fanbase.
Kardashian’s outspoken support of the firefighters who responded, push to increase the pay rate of incarcerated firefighters, and donations to provide meals to fire stations likely added to the believability of the scam(8).
Digital Forensics Corp’s Process for Unmasking Impersonators.
Whether you’ve been swept off your feet in a celebrity romance scam or been duped into an investment with fraudulent famous backing, DFC can help you unmask scammers posing as public figures.
Our ability to trace IP locations, analyze metadata in email headers and content shared, and conduct cross-platform investigation enables us to connect fraudulent profiles to their real-world counterparts.
The evidence collected in our investigation can help you build your case for legal proceedings. Furthermore, our collaboration with law enforcement worldwide allows us to connect you with precincts who can charge these criminals in their region.
Our services don’t end once your case has been resolved. We can help you determine security vulnerabilities and provide access to resources that can aid you in detecting future scams and increasing your online security.
If you’ve been targeted in a celebrity impersonation scam, time is of the essence. Reach out to our Blackmail Helpline for a completely free and confidential consultation today.
Sources:
- French woman duped by AI Brad Pitt faces mockery online
- Johnny Depp | Happy New Year, Everyone – Sadly, it has been brought to my attention that online scammers are intensifying their efforts to target my… | Instagram
- Impersonation scams: not what they used to be | Federal Trade Commission
- Sandra Bullock Expresses ‘Deep Concern’ Over Social Media Scams (Exclusive)
- Deepfakes of Elon Musk are pushing crypto giveaway scams on YouTube Live
- Elon Musk AI Impersonation Scams: Beware
- Facebook scammers want you to think Elon Musk can cure diabetes
- Kim Kardashian Warns of ‘Horrible’ Scams Targeting Her Fans – Parade
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