Wikipedia

Celebrity impersonation scams on social media

Celebrity impersonation scams via social media are forms of fraud that occur when an individual or group fraudulently represents themselves as well-known celebrity or public figure to obtain money, personal data, or other benefits.[1][2] Scammers use manipulated photographs, misleading messages, or realistic deepfake videos and voices to support their schemes, which can make it difficult to distinguish them from a real celebrity’s image or voice.[3] Media reports and consumer advocacy agencies have reported that such scams have become increasingly prevalent and sophisticated, alongside the expansion of social media platforms and emerging technologies such as AI-generated media.[4][5]

Definition and techniques

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Fraudsters often establish fake social media accounts purporting to belong to an actor, musician, athlete, or other public figure. Later, they reach out privately to the followers or possible victims, to request money, personal information, or some sort of benefits.[6][2] They often use social media schemes that could include fake endorsements opportunities, false charity appeals, "romance" stories, investment platforms, or promises of prizes and giveaways, all falsely presented as being supported by a popular celebrity.[2][1] The emergence of deepfake technology and AI has been identified as a significant development in the evolution of such scams.[2]

Scammers have increasingly incorporated different types of AI tools. These tools are used to scan social media platforms and build profiles of potential victims. They may also produce realistic video or audio recordings of the impersonated celebrity and communicate with targeted victims to establish the groundwork for the scamming schemes.[7][5] Many scammers create what they call “Persona Kits”, which may contain all the necessary digital tools to create an effective false identity for a celebrity impersonator. The kit can contain, but is not limited to, the voice of the celebrity, AI-generated photos showing the celebrity in different places and backgrounds, and a fake background history of the celebrity being impersonated.[8][5] This approach allows a single individual or a small group to operate and maintain numerous impersonator profiles simultaneously.[7]

Even though deepfake technology is becoming more prevalent, victims are still victimized by traditional forms of social engineering (e.g., claims of a “real” crisis) and/or by offers of “results” that appear to be “too good to be true.”[9] Consumer advocacy organizations have pointed out that while the content used by scammers may change, the underlying elements of these scams remain consistent. The most common elements include unsolicited contact with potential victims, implied urgency, offering unusually high returns on investments, and requesting payments through unconventional methods such as cryptocurrency.[7][10] Scammers also employ additional deceptive practices, including offering fictitious meet-and-greet experiences or selling counterfeit celebrity merchandise that is either poor quality or never delivered.[2] The FBI has warned that AI is capable of reducing spelling errors and unnatural phrasing that once served as indicators of scam messages, increasing the believability of impersonation attempts.[11]

Global prevalence

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The number of individuals victimized in the U.S. through various types of fraud has increased significantly since 2020. In 2023, over 64,000 people in the U.S. lost more than $1 billion to romance scams, which include many cases involving scammers claiming to be celebrities.[12][13] In Europe, there have been several highly publicized examples of celebrity impersonation scams. In France, law enforcement reported a case in which a scammer posing as a well-known actor defrauded a victim of several hundred thousand euros.[14][13] In the UK, celebrity scams increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16][2] The term “Digital Mafia” was used by a BBC investigation in 2025 and defined as an organized group that impersonates A-list celebrities using fake profiles on social media to scam victims.[5]

In Russia, official government statistics reported more than 680,000 crimes involving digital technology in 2023, representing a 30% increase compared to 2022.[17] Experts report that the annual damage from the unlawful use of celebrity brands in online fraud exceeds 500 million rubles (approximately 6.5–7 million USD).[18]

In India, numerous Bollywood stars sought court protection in 2025 from the unauthorized use of their likeness in fake video form, as well as from other fraudulent schemes.[19] Surveys show that 75% of Indian internet users have viewed deepfake content, which impersonate prominent public figures.[20][19] In Australia, false celebrity endorsements have been used to promote investment scams, with losses reported in the millions of dollars. In 2024, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned that deepfake videos of public figures were being used as bait for fraudulent trading platforms.[4][10]

In South America, Brazilian authorities reported dismantling a scheme in 2025 that used deepfake advertisements featuring celebrities to deceive consumers. The investigation led to arrests and contributed to a ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court that imposed greater responsibility on social media platforms for failing to remove criminal advertisements.[21]

History

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Impersonation scams have existed for many years; however, social media expanded their reach and reduced barriers to contacting large numbers of potential victims.[22] In the late 2000s, they started using major social media platforms to create fake profiles for well-known celebrities.[23] The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported increased activity in 2018 based on fake celebrity accounts on social media, often claiming that victims had won prizes, needed to donate to charities, or would be given help of some kind.[1] In response, social media companies began to implement systems to verify identities and put policies in place to help prevent impersonation scams, though changes to these systems later had unintended consequences.[24] Despite these measures, scammers found ways to avoid being caught; by making slight changes to their names, usernames, or profile images.[3]

Impersonation scams also experienced an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a high level of online activity and increased isolation from potential victims.[2][9] At the same time, advances in deepfake technology and AI-driven content creation significantly altered how these scams were carried out and made it easier for scammers to create realistic content.[15]

Reports published between 2024 and 2025 showed a substantial increase in the use of AI-generated media to impersonate celebrities. Consumer protection agencies such as the FTC and Better Business Bureau indicated growth in celebrity-related scams and issued public alerts warning consumers about deepfake videos and unsolicited messages involving well-known celebrities.[25][26][27]

Notable scam incidents

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Elon Musk investment scams: Several industry reports have identified Elon Musk as one of the most frequently impersonated figures in deepfake-based scams.[28][29][30] In Texas, a 62-year-old healthcare worker spent more than $10,000 after seeing an advertisement for a cryptocurrency on Facebook and TikTok that included a deepfaked video of Musk.[29] In Australia, another victim lost approximately A$80,000 by using what they thought was an interview of Musk promoting an automated trading platform. The victim was then shown a fake investment dashboard showing profits; however, they could never get their money back.[29]

Brad Pitt romance scam: A woman in France lost about €830,000 (approximately $850,000) after scammers impersonating Brad Pitt convinced her she was in a romantic relationship with the actor.[14] The fraudsters used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts and AI-generated images, and claimed Pitt needed money for medical treatment while his bank accounts were frozen due to divorce proceedings, leading the victim to send large payments.[14]

Keanu Reeves romance scam: A Florida woman named Dianne Ringstaff lost over $160,000 to scammers posing as actor Keanu Reeves.[31] The person first contacted her through the mobile game Words With Friends. When she doubted the claim, the individual video-chatted with her and appeared to look like Reeves, and also sent audio messages that sounded like the actor.[31] Over about two and a half years, the impersonator told stories about lawsuits and frozen assets and asked her to send money in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.[31]

Oprah Winfrey product scams: The Better Business Bureau reported that many consumers encountered scams involving weight-loss products falsely promoted using the likeness of Oprah Winfrey.[27] According to BBB Scam Tracker reports, consumers saw social media ads that appeared to show Oprah endorsing products such as weight-loss supplements, but these endorsements were fake and part of scams using manipulated or AI-generated media.[27]

Gisele Bündchen product scams: In 2025, Brazilian authorities arrested four suspects connected to a scam that used Instagram ads featuring deepfake videos of supermodel Gisele Bündchen and other celebrities.[21] Investigators identified more than 20 million reais in suspicious funds linked to the scheme.[21]

Kim Kardashian charity scams: The Better Business Bureau reported that consumers received emails appearing to be from Kim Kardashian asking them to send money to help victims of the California wildfires.[27] The messages were part of scams in which fraudsters impersonate celebrities to gain victims’ trust and request money.[27]

Mariah Carey concert booking scam: In 2015 and 2016, two individuals posing as representatives of Mariah Carey defrauded two LGBTQ charities of approximately $130,000 by falsely offering to arrange benefit concert performances by the singer.[32] According to the United States Department of Justice, the scheme involved fabricated contracts, travel arrangements for charity organizers to attend Carey’s concerts, altered complimentary tickets, and fraudulent email accounts impersonating Carey’s tour manager.[32]

Tom Cruise impersonation prosecutions: In 2023, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured convictions against several individuals involved in internet fraud, including a man who impersonated Tom Cruise on Instagram and defrauded a victim in Norway of $80 before being convicted in a Federal Capital Territory High Court.[33]

Taylor Swift deepfake ads: In 2024, social media advertisements generated with artificial intelligence used Taylor Swift’s likeness and voice to promote a fraudulent giveaway of Le Creuset cookware.[34] The ads claimed that a packaging error meant thousands of cookware sets were being given away and directed users to click a link and complete a survey.[34] Le Creuset stated that it had no partnership with Swift and that the promotion was a scam.[34]

Bill Gates livestream scams: In 2020, videos featuring the likeness of Bill Gates appeared on several hijacked YouTube channels that had been renamed to resemble official Microsoft accounts.[35] The livestreams promoted a fraudulent cryptocurrency “giveaway” and claimed to be associated with verified accounts.[35] YouTube removed the streams after they were reported, while Microsoft stated that its verified accounts had not been compromised.[35]

Richard Branson investment scams: In 2018, advertisements on Facebook promoted various financial schemes using the image of Richard Branson without his authorization.[36] Branson stated that he was increasing efforts to combat cryptocurrency scams and had spoken with executives at Meta Platforms about misleading promotional advertisements appearing on the platform.[37]

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Legal responses to celebrity impersonation scams have expanded as authorities address both traditional fraud and AI-enabled deception.[38][39] In several jurisdictions, lawmakers rely on existing fraud and identity theft statutes, while also proposing new legislation to address malicious uses of deepfake technology.[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][10] Regulatory agencies have emphasized that scams conducted through AI-generated media remain subject to the same penalties as all other forms of fraud.[47]

In 2025, India’s courts issued injunctions to several actors to protect “personality rights” in relation to the unauthorized use of their images in AI-generated content.[48] China introduced regulations requiring AI-generated media to be clearly labeled, with penalties for noncompliance.[49] The European Union is proposing provisions addressing manipulated media as part of larger legislative packages, including the AI Act and Digital Services Act.[50] In 2024, the Russian parliament proposed new amendments to the Criminal Code to penalize the misuse of deepfakes,[51] and the Central Bank of Russia has made public announcements warning consumers about the dangers of scams created with AI-generated video and audio impersonations.[52]

Social media platform responses

Major social media platforms prohibit impersonation and maintain policies requiring the removal of fake celebrity accounts when reported, though enforcement varies due to scale.[53] Platforms have introduced identity verification systems, such as verification badges, although changes to these systems have at times resulted in increased impersonation.[24] Internal documents cited by Reuters described how Meta adjusted its handling of scam advertisements in response to regulatory pressure.[54]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Scammers impersonate celebrities on social media". Federal Trade Commission. U.S. Government. August 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Celebrity scams". Action Fraud. National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 "How Scammers Use Celebrity Impersonation to Target Social Media Users". Carden IT Services. CardenITServices.com. 2025-03-27. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
  4. 1 2 "It's a scam: celebrities are not getting rich from online investment trading platforms". Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Australian Government. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Your new celebrity best friend? It's just a deepfake trying to con you". The Guardian. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  6. ↑ Shaheen, Anas Bacha (September 25, 2024). "Fake Profiles in Online Social Networks: Implications for Privacy and Cybersecurity in a Globalized World". ResearchGate. ResearchGate. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Celebrity Deepfake Scams Explode as AI Passes 8M Files — Fans Are Losing Everything". International Business Times UK. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Salivio, Sofiah Nichole (16 January 2026). "Deepfake boom fuels relentless wave of celebrity scams". SecurityBrief UK. TechDay Media Group. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 Butler, Rabihah (20 November 2025). "Scams aren't just fraud — they're engineered to exploit human nature". Thomson Reuters Institute. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 "Online Fraud and Scam Trends Across APAC" (PDF). Safer Internet Lab. Safer Internet Lab / Centre for Strategic and International Studies. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud". Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Federal Bureau of Investigation. December 3, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ "FTC data show more than four-fold increase in reports of impersonation scammers stealing tens — even hundreds — of millions". Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission. August 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Woman loses life savings to scammers posing as Brad Pitt". CBS News. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "Brad Pitt isn't messaging you, rep warns, after adoring fan scammed". France24. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  15. 1 2 Vigliarolo, Brandon (21 April 2020). "COVID-19 lockdowns are causing a huge spike in data breaches". TechRepublic. TechnologyAdvice. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "19 million lose money to scams but fewer than a third report". National Trading Standards. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  17. ↑ Ivanova, O.S.; Ivanov, A.A. (2025). "Phishing Fraud Schemes". НИР. Экономика. 70 (2 (74)): 25–29. doi:10.12737/2587-9111-2025-13-2-25-29. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  18. ↑ "Андрей Бусаргин, Group-IB: «Нельзя бороться с атаками на бренды в интернете вручную: у вас должны быть технологии защиты и "красная кнопка" для немедленного реагирования»". AdIndex (in Russian). ООО «А.А.И.». 31 March 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  19. 1 2 "From celeb impersonation to digital scams: how Indians are in the deepfake dragnet". India Today. 28 September 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "75% Indians have viewed some deepfake content in last 12 months, says McAfee survey". The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 "Brazilian scammers raking in millions used Gisele Bündchen deepfakes in Instagram ads". Reuters. Reuters. October 3, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  22. ↑ Mouncey, Emma; Ciobotaru, Simona (2025). "Phishing scams on social media: An evaluation of cyber awareness education on impact and effectiveness". Journal of Economic Criminology. 7 100125. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  23. ↑ Ferrara, Emilio (1 August 2019). "The History of Digital Spam". Communications of the ACM. 62 (8): 82–91. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  24. 1 2 Ray, Siladitya (11 November 2022). "Twitter Blue: New signups for paid verification appear suspended after impersonator chaos". Forbes. Forbes Media LLC. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Naffi, Nadia (27 October 2025). "Deepfakes and the crisis of knowing". UNESCO. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "FTC Announces Crackdown on Deceptive AI Claims and Schemes". Federal Trade Commission. U.S. Federal Trade Commission. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 "Scam Alert: Celebrity impersonations get more sophisticated with AI technology". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  28. ↑ Thompson, Stuart A. (14 August 2024). "How 'Deepfake Elon Musk' Became the Internet's Biggest Scammer". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  29. 1 2 3 "Deepfakes of Elon Musk contribute to billions in fraud losses in the U.S." CBS News Texas. 24 November 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  30. ↑ "Bogus Ads Use Elon Musk's Image to Steal Victims' Savings". AARP. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  31. 1 2 3 Plasencia, Ariel (2025-04-25). "Scammer pretending to be Keanu Reeves bilks Bay Area woman out of $160K: Documents". FOX 13 News. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  32. 1 2 "Fraudulent Mariah Carey Concert Promoters Sentenced". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  33. ↑ Erezi, Dennis (2023-05-12). "Nigerian fraudster, seven others impersonating Tom Cruise arrested". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  34. 1 2 3 "AI-generated ads using Taylor Swift's likeness dupe fans with fake Le Creuset giveaway - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  35. 1 2 3 "Bill Gates's YouTube 'Bitcoin giveaway' is a big fat scam". Sophos. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  36. ↑ Waterson, Jim (24 April 2018). "Facebook urged to use face recognition to block scam ads". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  37. ↑ Jasper, Christopher (13 June 2022). "Richard Branson Takes Aim at Crypto Scams That Use His Name as Lure". NDTV Profit. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  38. ↑ Chaudhary, Rishabh; Aggarwal, Kanika (May 2025). "AI-Driven Digital Arrest Scams: Legal Gaps in Regulating Deepfake Impersonation" (PDF). International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews. 6 (5): 13124–13132. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  39. ↑ "AG Nessel Warns Consumers About Rise in Celebrity Impersonation Scams". Michigan Department of Attorney General. State of Michigan. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  40. ↑ "Deepfake Legislation: What the Law Covers Today and …". Traverse Legal. Traverse Legal, PLC. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  41. ↑ "Understanding the Laws Surrounding AI-Generated Images: Protecting Yourself Against Deepfakes and Other Harmful AI Content". National Security Law Firm. National Security Law Firm, PLC. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  42. ↑ "Jersey City Attorney Admits Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Tax Crimes". U.S. Department of Justice. United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  43. ↑ "Deceptive Audio or Visual Media (Deepfakes) — 2024 Legislation". National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  44. ↑ "Texas Penal Code § 33.07: Online Impersonation". FindLaw. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  45. ↑ Hughes, Liz (19 September 2024). "AI Deepfakes in Political Ads Banned in California". AI Business. Future plc. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  46. ↑ "H.R. 5586 – DEEPFAKES Accountability Act". Congress.gov. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  47. ↑ "FTC Highlights Actions to Protect Consumers from Impersonation Scams". Federal Trade Commission. U.S. Federal Trade Commission. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  48. ↑ Dogra, Nupur (11 September 2025). "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Gets High Court Relief Over Personality Rights". NDTV. NDTV Convergence Limited. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  49. ↑ "China releases AI content labeling rules". CMS Law-Now. CMS. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  50. ↑ "EU Digital Omnibus: The European Commission Proposes Important Changes to the EU's Digital Rulebook". Sidley. Sidley Austin LLP. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  51. ↑ "В Госдуму внесли законопроект о наказаниях за использование дипфейков". РБК (in Russian). РБК (RBC). 16 September 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  52. ↑ "ЦБ предупредил, что мошенники научились использовать дипфейки". РБК (in Russian). РБК (RBC). 15 August 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  53. ↑ Sarfraz, Amber; Ahmad, Adnan; Zeshan, Frukh (30 August 2025). "Unmasking deception: detection of fake profiles in online social ecosystems". Journal of Big Data. Springer Nature. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  54. ↑ "Meta created playbook to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show". Reuters. Reuters. December 31, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
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