These celebrity impersonation scams have become more prevalent with the advancement of AI technology, similar to "pig butchering" schemes where scammers build fake emotional relationships to extract money. Depp was listed as the ninth most impersonated celebrity in a McAfee report, alongside others like Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks. The majority of scam victims were older adults, with some losing up to $350,000. Depp urged fans to recognize scam tactics, such as offers for paid meetings or memberships, and reiterated that he does not directly interact with fans on social media.
Key takeaways:
- The FTC received nearly 200 complaints about scammers impersonating Johnny Depp online, bilking people out of significant sums of money.
- Johnny Depp warned fans about these scams, emphasizing that neither he nor his team would ask for money or personal information.
- Celebrity impersonation scams have increased with the rise of AI tools, which can convincingly mimic celebrities' appearances and voices.
- Victims of these scams are often older adults, with some losing up to $350,000 to the fraudsters.