‘Entice victims with rapid wealth': Scammers' celebrity tactic to steal millions
WA ScamNet figure shows Australians are increasingly being scammed by fake celebrity endorsements.
Since the start of 2024, there have been 76 West Australian victims who have reported handing over nearly $19.4m to fake scams.
In 2025, scammers have siphoned $10.8m from 48 WA people who have been fooled.
Consumer Protection commissioner Trish Blake pointed out that scammers were getting better at using celebrity images to dupe vulnerable Australians.
'The use of celebrity images, increasingly in deepfake videos, to endorse investment schemes is a deliberate tactic by scammers to fabricate legitimacy and entice victims with promises of rapid wealth,' Ms Blake said.
From there, they ask for small payments and a few personal identification details to set up an account.
The scammers will give small returns and gifts to gain the trust of the target.
Once they have gained the victim's trust, the scammers demand larger and larger payments through cryptocurrencies and direct bank transfers to pay for fictitious fees and taxes.
'Being told to deposit more money to access your funds, citing taxes or other fees is a major red flag of an investment scam, so too are pressure tactics like being told your account will be frozen if you don't invest more,' Ms Blake said.
Ms Blake warned that scammers were also returning for a second strike on victims.
'After falling victim to an investment scam, many are again approached by so-called 'recovery experts', claiming they can retrieve lost funds,' she said.
'These follow-up scams prey on hope and desperation and can lead to even greater losses.'
Another way scammers are ripping off WA victims is through fake cryptocurrency trading, which is sold as low risk and high returns.
'Crypto scammers thrive on market complexity, using confusion and fake 'insider knowledge' to trick you,' Ms Blake said.
'By posing as trusted advisers, they call their victims regularly, offering to set up their trading profiles to gain access to devices while manipulating them into handing over their superannuation to invest.
'If you're curious about crypto, protect yourself by conducting thorough independent research – investigate tokens and exchanges online, read websites critically, and be highly suspicious of promises of high returns with low risk.'
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