Overview
The scammer impersonates a celebrity in order to exploit the instant name recognition, trust, and emotional connection that the victim has with the famous person, in order to help them further the scam.
Typical scams that involve celebrity impersonation include 1.3.1 Cryptocurrency Investment Scams, 1.5 AI-enabled Trading Bot Scams, 2.3 Fake Shop Scams, 4.4 Cryptocurrency Giveaway Scams, and others.
Top lists of most-impersonated celebrities are common. However, minor celebrities or niche celebrities are being used in scams also. One advantage of using a minor celebrity is that it may be easier to create fake social media accounts that use their identity, and it may feel more authentic to a potential victim than if the scammer is trying to claim they are Scarlett Johansson or Keanu Reeves.
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