Impersonation scam; Comedian Charlie Berens reacts, frustrated
The Brief
A Glendale woman says a scammer impersonating Charlie Berens tried to steal hundreds of dollars from her in exchange for backstage tickets.
Berens is aware of impersonation accounts in his name on social media. He says trying to remove them is like "whack-a-mole."
The BBB says this is a combination of the "impersonation scam" and "friendship scam." The scammer quickly tried to develop a personal relationship with the victim.
GLENDALE, Wis. - A comedian known for his viral videos about "Midwestern nice" is reacting to a scam attempt in his name. One woman tells Contact 6 she nearly lost hundreds of dollars.
What we know
Charlie Berens is a stand-up performer who also racks up millions of clicks online for his videos playfully showcasing life in Wisconsin.
His comic persona might ask you for a brandy old-fashioned or a lift to a Culver's. However, Berens says he'd never ask for money outside the legitimate ticketing website for his comedy shows.
"If you get a DM from me asking for your favorite fishing spot, that could be legitimate," Berens told Contact 6. "Aside from that, it's not me."
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Berens finds no humor in his fans being scammed.
What we know
In early March, a 60-year-old Glendale woman thought she got a message from Berens on TikTok. When she asked about his upcoming shows, the scammer offered to get her tickets. Then, the scammer suggested they move the conversation off TikTok.
The woman was told she needed a 'fan card' to get backstage access. To get one, she had to put $500 on an e-gift card at Walmart.
"I have a lot of empathy for people because it's getting harder and harder to decipher what is true and is not true online," said Berens.
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Before Contact 6 reached out to Berens, he was aware of impersonation accounts in his name.
"It's like whack-a-mole. As soon as you get down one, you get ten more," said Berens.
Why you should care
One red flag in this case? The scammer's TikTok name was CharlieBerens127. Beren's official account is CharlieBerens.
"If there's any numbers behind @CharlieBerens on any of these things, that's a no-go," said Berens.
The victim became skeptical before losing money. She says the scammer got too friendly, calling her "my dear" and saying, "I guess I've been around and waiting for you."
She eventually wrote back, "why in the world would famous Charlie Berens reach out to a complete strange and sweet talk?"
What we know
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says this is an impersonation scam combined with a friendship scam. Friendships scams, alongside romance scams, ranked number three on the BBB's riskiest consumer scams in 2024. Friendship/romance scams also rank number one for amount of money lost.
"I think the thing with celebrity impersonation scams is people want them to be true," said Lisa Schiller of the BBB Serving Wisconsin. "They're going to ask for payment in an untraceable method such as a gift card, or a reloadable card, or wire transfer or cryptocurrency."
What they're saying
Berens worries the impersonation scams will only get worse as more fraudsters embrace AI.
"The lack of regulation around AI, there's more regulation on a bratwurst than there is artificial intelligence," said Berens.
It's unclear whether AI was involved in this scam.
Berens says he's heard about social media impersonators for years. To make sure a page is verified, look for the blue check mark.
More information on imposter scams and AI:
How to avoid impostor scams
Celebrity impersonations get more sophisticated with AI technology
The Source
Information for this report comes from an interview with Charlie Berens, the BBB, the victim and her messaging history with the scammer.
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