Fake accounts impersonating celebrities regularly pop up online, which can be concerning for both fans and those in the public eye—especially when a celeb doesn’t even use social media!
This has been the case for Sandra Bullock, who recently spoke up about scammers pretending to be both her and her sister on social platforms. Keep reading to find out more about what they had to say, plus tips for avoiding celebrity-related scams.
Sandra Bullock’s warning about social media scams
Since the 60-year-old actress doesn’t have a social media presence, she wanted to warn anyone who may have a profile about what has been going on.
To get the message out, she sent a statement to People warning fans that any accounts claiming to be her are scammers. “Please be aware that I do not participate in any form of social media,” Bullock said. “Any accounts pretending to be me or anyone associated with me are fake accounts and have been created for financial gain or to exploit people around me.”
She also added that her family’s safety is a top priority and that law enforcement had been contacted. This extra step will not only help them maintain privacy but ensure no one falls for this celebrity impersonation scam.
“Any accounts pretending to be me or anyone associated with me are fake accounts and have been created for financial gain or to exploit people around me.” —Sandra Bullock
How fake accounts are impacting Sandra Bullock’s family
As if impersonating the star isn’t bad enough, scammers have gone as far as creating fake accounts pretending to be her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, too. On February 2, the younger Bullock took to Instagram to comment on the frustrating situation.
“These accounts are run by crime rings,” Bullock-Prado wrote in the caption of her post, in which she also shared a screenshot of some of the fake accounts. “They also run fake groups where a fake me posts ‘official statements.’ Not me. This is my only account and y’all know it’s about baking, cooking, animals, and gardening.”
The 54-year-old mentioned that reporting these phony accounts has unfortunately become a daily activity for her, and the problem has gotten so bad that concerning emails are being sent to her business and personal accounts. She encouraged anyone who encounters one of these scammers to report and block the account.
How to spot fake celebrity accounts
Unfortunately, AI is making it easier than ever for scammers to pretend to be someone famous. This includes celeb-bait scams, when bad actors utilize a celebrity’s name, image or likeness to convince people to purchase, view or interact with fraudulent content.
Luckily, there are still precautions you can take to avoid falling for these dupes and fake accounts.
- Inspect the username. Many times, a celebrity will consistently use the same username across multiple social media platforms. If it’s different from the other accounts or doesn’t make much sense (like ashley5678) for someone high-profile, then it’s likely fake.
- Check their follower count. When they have a public social media profile, a beloved celebrity will have a huge number of fans. A significantly low number of followers can indicate the account isn’t legitimate.
- Avoid responding to DMs from a “celebrity.” Celebrities sending private messages is incredibly rare, and they also won’t be asking to borrow money. If your favorite actor or singer reaches out to you just to “chat,” and it’s not a verified account, you’re almost certainly dealing with a scammer.
- Use reverse image search. If an image or video in a celebrity endorsement or posted by an account appears suspicious, run it through a free reverse image tool online. This will help tell you if the content has been manipulated or pulled from a celebrity’s verified account to use on a fake one.
- Take a closer look at images. In AI-driven celeb-bait scams, manipulated content is common. Look for odd lighting, distortion, blurriness around edges and strange details involving hair, teeth or hands. Any of these can be signs that the content involving the celebrity isn’t authentic.
Think you have encountered a fake celebrity account? Report it to the social media platform you’re using immediately so scammers can’t fool other users.
