Do not succumb to the charms of a fake profile
5 min Reading time
Febelfin and ‘Johnny Depp’ warn for friendship fraud
Valentine's Day is approaching, but unfortunately, not all declarations of love are sincere. Some scammers also try to gain your trust via a fake online profile and end up taking your money. We would therefore like to draw your attention once again to this form of fraud: friendship fraud.
Friendship fraud explained
Scammers seek contact with their victims through dating sites and apps like Tinder, for example, but also use e-mail, chat or social media like Facebook or Instagram. They build a relationship of trust with you and play on your emotions. They often do so by evoking pity. In the end, they have only 1 goal: steal your money. They ask to transfer money for a plane ticket, to pay medical expenses of a family member, etc. Any reason will do.
How to recognise fake profiles?
- Friendship fraudsters use a fake name and photos.
- They have an attractive profile: a well-paid job, a beautiful photo, ...
- They often operate from abroad.
- They can manipulate your feelings and arouse sympathy like no other.
- They ask you for money several times, after which they suddenly disappear off the face of the earth.
- You are left with an empty wallet and a broken heart.
Protect your heart and your wallet
- Do not just accept friendship requests.
- Always check the authenticity of the profile first.
- A tip for checking the authenticity of photos: Use Google Search. Do you find multiple versions of the photo with different names? Then you are dealing with a fraudster.
- Be wary of stories that elicit pity.
- Never just transfer money at random.
- If it is too good to be true, it usually is. Are you inundated with messages from a so-called celebrity? Then know that this is fake. These days, scammers often use AI to create the most realistic photos or videos of famous people.
Campaign with 'Johnny Depp'
To warn people, Febelfin launched a new social media campaign with the help of ‘Johnny Depp’. Or at least that's how it seems at first. With the help of this lookalike, Febelfin wants to inform people that there are many fake profiles active on social media that impersonate famous celebrities through AI-generated images and videos.
Recently, a woman was scammed out of more than €800,000 by a so-called Brad Pitt. The first moment you may think: ‘that would never happen to me’. Yet this victim was just the tip of the iceberg and there are thousands of cases of fraudsters impersonating famous people. Here in Belgium, for example, we see fake ads featuring Gert Verhulst or Natalia on social media. It all seems very transparent, like our ‘Johnny Depp’, but still people fall for it.
Still became a victim?
It can happen to the best, so be sure not to get discouraged and contact the local police. Also gather as much evidence as possible, for example, the scammer's online profile, printouts of chat conversations and proof of payment. This way, you may be able to help others. Also be sure to talk about it with friends or family.
Find more info on friendship fraud in our online dossier.
