'Keep alert': Dame Helen Mirren warns fans not to fall foul of scammer using her name for false charity
Dame Helen Mirren has told her fans to "keep alert" after scammers used her name to front a false charity. The 79-year-old actress has warned her social media followers to be vigilant as she explained that a mystery scammer was sending out messages in her name asking for vast sums of money. In a post on Instagram on Tuesday (24.06.25), Helen wrote: "SCAM ALERT! Person(s) unknown have used my name to front a false charity, which is sending out messages from me, offering a large sum of money and asking you to respond to helenmirrencharity@gmail.com. "THIS IS NOT ME and it is not my email address, please beware and do not respond, this is a scam. "The original message came from drogogo91@gmail.com and referred to a genuine charity Look For The Stars to claim authenticity. Please keep alert – Many thanks Helen." The Good Liar actress revealed in 2019 that she was left feeling "mortified and humiliated" after being conned by a scheme in which she sent money in return for a mystery 'prize'. Helen told BBC Radio 4: "I was scammed. I was so embarrassed about it and that's the terrible thing isn't it, when you're scammed you're so mortified that you really don't tell anyone because it's so embarrassing and humiliating." The Oscar-winning actress recalled how she was in the US when the scammers informed her that she had won a prize. She said: "They did it brilliantly, and I was suspicious. They said, 'I've got her I've got her', when I picked up the phone, they said, 'I've got her, I've got her, we're so excited to tell you you've won this prize!' "I said, 'Have I, how?' The only caveat – why didn't I realise? – was, in order to get the prize, I had to send them money "And in return they would send – and they did, it wasn't like I didn't get anything – they sent these things, weird things like a 3D camera, I remember and a fake diamond tennis bracelet, just weird things. "But I was suspicious, and I said, 'Where are you phoning from, the company, where is it based?' "'We're based in New Orleans.' I said, 'Oh what address?' And they gave me an address, and I said, 'Oh that's interesting, because – and it was true – I happen to be coming to New Orleans next week, so I'll pop in and see you.' "And they sort of went all a bit pear-shaped when I said that." Helen added: "I was scammed, definitely."
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