Celebrity identity theft to promote products or orchestrate online scams is a growing scourge that concerns public figures as much as their fans. Marie-Claude Barrette has just been a victim and she came out publicly to denounce this dishonest technique.
These fraudsters exploit the notoriety and trust that these public figures inspire to dupe Internet users looking for authentic advice or recommendations.
They create fake social media profiles, imitate writing styles, or use stolen images to make their posts look convincing. Often, these scams come in the form of promotions of supposedly celebrity-endorsed products, such as weight loss supplements, cosmetics or lucrative investments.
In reality, these offers hide scams, where victims can lose their money or sensitive personal information.
These practices are not only harmful to the victims, but they also tarnish the image of celebrities, who find themselves unfairly associated with these frauds.
Despite the efforts of digital platforms to detect and remove these fake accounts, fraudsters are constantly finding new methods to circumvent the systems. It is therefore crucial to raise public awareness of these dangers, by encouraging Internet users to check the legitimacy of profiles and offers, and to report any suspicious activity to limit the impact of these scams.
-Recently, fraudsters exploited the image of host Marie-Claude Barrette for fraudulent purposes.
Photos of her were manipulated using artificial intelligence technology to create a fake photo. In this doctored image, she appears sitting in a wheelchair, allegedly due to serious joint problems, a staged attempt intended to deceive the public.
In an Instagram post, she re-shared the photos and added the word FRAUD on top to warn anyone who might see this false ad on the web.
”SCAM!!! This is completely false! I do not endorse any product. It’s AI that speaks for me ????” – Marie-Claude Barrette
Several other celebrities have been victims of this type of scam. You really have to be careful!
