Kid Rock, Taylor Swift, Cooper Alan and more are being impersonated to scam fans online

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Kid Rock, Taylor Swift, Cooper Alan and more are being impersonated to scam fans online
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Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France
Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France for failing to prevent criminal activity on the secure messaging app.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said her office's consumer protection team has seen an uptick of scams where the crooks are impersonating popular people.
A Snoop Dogg imposter got money from a victim in Michigan via Cash App for exclusive merchandise that never arrived.
Country musician Cooper Alan has a TikTok telling fans about scammers with fake accounts impersonating him.
All of a sudden, an everyday Jane or Joe who is following a celebrity on social media, maybe someone like Kid Rock or Snoop Dogg, gets pinged with a message — and the star strikes up a conversation.
Maybe, they noticed your picture on Facebook and think you're attractive. Maybe, they say you're a super fan who deserves a super deal on exclusive merchandise.
Or they go so far as to declare that they feel that God is bringing you together. The star wonders if you'd want to buy a special VIP pass to a concert to get to know one another.
Or maybe, this celebrity wants to help you and shares a tip on how to make money on cryptocurrency.
No maybe about it, you could be about to lose $500 or $5,000 or $50,000 or more to a celebrity imposter.
We're not just talking about people losing money to bad actors who impersonate megastars, like Reba McEntire or Taylor Swift.
Who is Cooper Alan and why scammers love him
Upstart country music singer Cooper Alan launched his music career by building his brand via TikTok and Instagram during the pandemic. Ironically, Alan is now in the spot of having to turn to social media to warn his fans about getting ripped off.
Years ago, when he was in the eighth grade, according to a profile in 2021 in the Nashville Tennessean, Alan saw a Kid Rock concert in Greensboro, North Carolina. After hearing Kid Rock, Alan told his parents, "That's exactly what I want to do."
Alan went viral in late 2020 after a mash-up challenge on TikTok, according to the Tennessean. The independent, 29-year-old artist has racked up more than 225 million streams, according to his online bio. He claims a "massive digital presence with more than 14 million followers across all social media platforms."
Alan told a Tennessean reporter back in 2021 that so far his TikTok popularity was great, all love and no invasion of privacy.
Now, though, he's got a TikTok video where he begins by saying that he's "kind of pissed off" about how he's being impersonated by fake accounts and scammers who steal money from his fans. He wonders how far things will have to go before social media platforms will take some action to put a stop to these types of scams.
"This happens all the time, and it's not just me," according to the TikTok talk given by the native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Many celebrities who have built a fan following on social media are running into fake accounts set up by con artists. Alan said he's tired of nothing being done about it.
"How many people have to be hurt by scammers/fake accounts before these platforms actually do something about it?" Alan asked in the TikTok.
One fan lost $5,000 to a Cooper Alan fake account
Alan — who has a show at the Grand Ole Opry: Opry 100 on June 10 — tells the story of meeting a woman who paid for a meet-and-greet ticket at a VIP program before another one of his other shows. She was "super sweet, very nice," Alan said.
But then the woman leaned into him and whispered: "Have I been talking to you?"
His answer was no.
"She then says, 'I think I just got screwed out of $5,000,' " Alan said.
Some fake account made it appear that she was talking to him, and convinced her that Alan was asking her for the money. He was in the bad position of telling her that, no, those conversations weren't real.
Common money scams: Package delayed for tariffs? It may be a scam.
"You could tell the hurt in her eyes," Alan said, "and just the feeling of being tricked."
In the TikTok video, Alan makes it clear that he does not reach out to anybody directly.
"If you think you're talking to me, you are not talking to me. And I will never, ever ask anybody to give me money. Love you guys, sorry this happens."
Fans share their stories about orphanages and love
In one TikTok, Alan asked fans who have been scammed or approached by scammers to share their stories.
One fan responded by saying: "I had one Cooper asking for a donation for an orphanage." The fan was going to give money but claimed to first need permission from a financial adviser. The adviser's answer was a flat-out "No."
Another fan claimed to be scammed by many who falsely claimed to be celebrities. "I have given money to Matteo." The reference wasn't more specific but Matteo Guidicelli, a 35-year-old actor, has warned his fans about celebrity scammers using his name and his wife, Sarah Geronimo's, name in an online scam with the tag line "National ID cash assistance."
Another fan named Julie responded to the real Cooper Alan by saying that not one, but two Cooper imposter accounts had been getting very flirty and forward with her.
Julie responded by saying: "Aren't you married?"
Then the scammers claimed that Cooper Alan's wife had cheated on him with a team member.
"It really pissed me off given that you write such beautiful songs about your lovely wife," wrote Julie. "People are trying to paint you both as cheaters; it's wrong."
Alan noted that he has even received threatening emails from people who blame him for breaking up their marriage or fearing that their partner was leaving to run off with Alan. In another TikTok, Alan said he's literally reporting hundreds of fake accounts a week.
I reached out to Alan's team to talk further about why scams are so upsetting to him. A spokesperson responded by email and stated: "Unfortunately, Cooper is unavailable for an interview at this time due to his schedule. We appreciate you reaching out here, thanks!"
The contact did confirm that the TikTok I'm sharing with you in the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, is real. Alan has a long list of concerts, including one at Stix in Ludington, Michigan, on July 31 and another at the Berrien County Youth Fair in Berrien Springs, Michigan, on Aug. 13.
As we move forward into the summer concert season, it might be a good time to remind people that celebrities aren't going to chat with you via a messaging app and ask you to pay $500 or more for new merch or special access.
Another sign of a scam: Those impersonating celebrities will reach out via social media initially but then try to redirect the conversation onto platforms like Telegram or WhatsApp, Signal or another messaging application.
Such platforms can enable scammers to create anonymous accounts and better hide their real identities.
The scammers might even use voice messaging to make it seem like you're hearing the loving words from a celebrity, like Cooper Alan or Garth Brooks.
Earlier this year, Johnny Depp wished his fans a Happy New Year and warned them via an Instagram post that scammers were impersonating him to try to get their money.
"Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice," he said. "Scammers may look and sound just like the real me. But, neither I, nor my team, will ask you for money or your personal information."
Depp noted that he does not offer "paid meetings, phone calls, club memberships or fan cards."
Some tips:
Don't send anyone you don't know money via Cash App, Venmo or another payment platform.
Put down your smartphone and call someone. Ask a friend or family member if they think any communication could be a scam.
Go online to see warnings about potential scams before engaging with anyone.
Don't transfer money out of your bank account to send any payments via Bitcoin to celebrities or others you meet online.
If you paid some money to a scammer, listen to your internal voice and don't pay any more money when more demands are made. Some victims report that they bought exclusive goods and then were told they need to pay another $200 for shipping. Why would anyone charge that high of a price?
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said her office's consumer protection team has seen an uptick of scams where the crooks are impersonating popular people.
The office has received complaints about imposters claiming to be Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock, and even a four-star general, according to Danny Wimmer, a spokesperson for Nessel.
"The Snoop Dogg imposter secured money from the victim via Cash App for exclusive merchandise that never arrived," he said.
The other two imposters, Wimmer said, enticed their victims to buy cryptocurrencies.
"In each of these cases, the scammers made initial contact with the victim via social media, and in each case the target lost money to the scam," Wimmer said.
Another recent celebrity scam, he said, involved a complaint where the scammer was impersonating Garth Brooks and appeared to be striking up a love interest.
Unfortunately, celebrity imposter scams are stealing real dollars from retirees and others.
While it might seem amusing to some that a Nashville star could be looking for love in Wyandotte, the reality is that social media platforms built their powerful brands by giving us all the illusion that somehow we're more connected than ever.
Somehow, we live in a world where some days it does not seem improbable that a 29-year-old singer would want to chat. And if you're good-hearted or lonely or just looking for a friend, well, you might be more vulnerable than ever to one of these pitches.
Free Press staff writer Darcie Moran contributed to this column.
Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [e-mail]. Follow her on X @tompor.