Johnny Depp started the new year by warning fans about an ongoing social media scam that’s costing some people a lot of money.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the Mortdecai star wished his followers a Happy New Year before warning them of some “illegal schemes”.
“Unfortunately, I have become aware that online scammers have increased their efforts to target my fans and supporters,” Depp wrote. “As part of their tactics, they have created multiple deceptive social media and email accounts impersonating me and members of my team.”
He added: “Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice. A fraudster may look and sound like the real me. But neither I nor my team can. We will never ask you for money or personal information. We are proactive.” We are working to combat these illegal schemes. ”
Depp noted that his only official accounts are Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and he does not use Snapchat, Discord, or X (formerly Twitter) for the “protection and recognition of his fans.” .
He added: “I do not offer paid meetings, calls, club memberships, fan cards, etc. If you are asked to pay for a meeting, call, membership or fan card, it is a scam. ” he declared.
Ian West/Pennsylvania Image (via Getty)
Depp has warned fans that he will never interact directly with them on social media, email or chat-based apps, and will never allow himself, his team or his family to obtain their contact or personal information for financial gain. I repeated that it would never happen.
A representative for Mr. Depp declined further comment on the matter.
The actor’s warning comes a month after Gizmodo reported on the prevalence of Depp impersonation scams over the past year. Through a FOIA request to the FTC, the outlet obtained “197 complaints spanning the entire country,” and found that “victims first contacted Facebook, etc., before the conversation moved to messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Zangi.” “They were often targeted on social media platforms.” Transfer methods included Coinbase, Bitcoin ATM, Zelle, PayPal, gift cards, and more. ”
Reports say some fans lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and one victim reportedly suffered a total loss of $350,000.
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Recently, celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, and Brad Pitt have similarly spoken out about scams in which their likenesses were used for fraudulent purposes. Depp himself issued a similar warning to fans in June 2022, when he had to warn his followers at the time about an account “impersonating me.”
