Scammers on the internet are now using famous people to steal money from fans. A new report from a cybersecurity company called Spikerz shows that criminals pretend to be celebrities like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish or Johnny Depp. They create fake social media accounts and send messages that look real. Many fans believe these messages and lose money.
One woman, Roxanne, thought she was talking to her favourite country singer and paid $200 for a ticket that never arrived. Another scam that used Johnny Depp’s name took $350,000 from one person. The report says that 72% of Americans have seen fake celebrity ads, 39% have clicked on them, and 10% have lost money or personal data. Experts say AI and deepfake videos make these scams more dangerous, because fake videos and accounts look very real. The scammers often use urgent messages and ask people to send money quickly. They may say they are from the celebrity’s “team”. People should be careful with private messages, strange links, and anyone asking for money. These are all big red flags.
Vocabulary:
• scam (noun): a dishonest plan to get someone’s money
• scammer (noun): a person who cheats people to get money
• cybersecurity (noun): protection of computers, phones and internet systems from attacks
• impersonate (verb): to pretend to be another person
• fleeced (verb): cheated and made to pay too much money or lose money
• report (noun): an official written document with facts and numbers
• phishing (noun): a trick where someone sends fake messages to get your passwords or money
• fake (adj): not real; made to look real
• ticket (noun): a printed or digital paper that lets you enter a concert, show, etc.
• deepfake (noun): a very realistic fake video or audio made with AI
• hackers (noun): people who break into computer systems or accounts
• account (noun): your personal space on a website or app, with your name and data
• private message (noun): a message sent only to one person, not public
• urgent (adj): very important and needing quick action
• red flag (noun): a sign that something may be dangerous or wrong