No, You Are Not Speaking To George Clooney;How to spot an online impersonator

The internet is a technological miracle, connecting billions of people around the world with one another. You can look up anything on the internet; recipes for corn bread, events near you, lyrics to that song you can’t get out of your head, even where George Clooney’s house is.

But the internet, like life, is full of dangers. Conmen and –women take advantage of people online at an alarming rate. Older adults are targeted because they tend to be more trusting, are thought to have ‘nest eggs’ and guaranteed income, and are believed to be less technologically inclined. If you have a social media account like Facebook or Instagram, or even Words With Friends, you should learn the signs so if you are ever approached by one of these scammers, you can simply walk away.

Susan H. is a 64-year old disabled woman, divorced, living with friends. She receives a small amount of Social Security each month. Susan contacted Center for Elder Law and Justice when she started getting suspicious that her online friend, who she refused to name, was taking advantage of her. She had been sending him money through gift cards, but now he wanted to help her set up a joint bank account. Susan had a gut feeling that something was very wrong.

Eventually, Susan admitted that she had been chatting with movie star George Clooney, and he had told her not to tell anyone about him because he was married. When asked how she believed that she was speaking with this celebrity, Susan detailed several reasons. First, “Mr. Clooney” described the movie he was working on. He sent several pictures of himself to Susan. He even offered to send her an autographed headshot, which hadn’t turned up yet. And he knew the address to George Clooney’s house.

Susan explained that after the movie wrapped up and Mr. Clooney could divorce his wife privately, he was going to marry her and take care of her. Until then, however, Susan was the only one supporting anyone. But she was running out of money. (To learn more about Romance Scams, click here.)

Helen R., 89, didn’t fall in love with an online stranger, but she became good friends with a woman she believed was country superstar Reba McEntire. She allowed ‘Reba’ to set up an account for her to deposit her Social Security checks. After giving all her personal information away, Helen stopped receiving her Social Security. Destitute, she failed to pay the taxes on her house, which was foreclosed upon. When advocates tried to reroute Helen’s Social Security, they found that the bank account wasn’t even in Helen’s name.

Susan and Helen’s stories are unfortunately not uncommon. There are countless stories much the same, where an unsuspecting older adult, whose only flaw is being too trusting, believes they are talking with a famous person. Whether you are online or you know someone who is, read on to learn how to tell the difference between a scammer and someone who is who they claim to be online.

Tips to Spot an Impersonator Online

1.      To put it as bluntly as possible, celebrities are not going to reach out to anyone. They are very busy and surrounded by people who want to talk to them constantly; they do not need to find a stranger online for companionship.

2.      Understand that anyone can make a social media account under any name they want. Some social media websites put a check mark next to official accounts. Typically, these ‘real’ accounts are the actor’s name without excess characters or numbers (georgeclooney instead of Ge0rGe_Cl00ney1 or georgeclooneyfan on Instagram). [As of the writing of this post, George Clooney does not have an active Instagram account!]

3.      Be careful of anyone reaching out to you by personal message online. Especially if they start out with excessive praise, love, compliments, or anything having to do with money.

4.      You can find out almost anything online if you know how to look for it. Pictures of celebrities, the name of the show they are working on, where they live, who their family is, their work history—everything they need to know can be found online.

5.      Insist on video chats if you want to be sure. Make sure the person in the video is who they claim to be. Make sure the lighting is good enough to see their face. Ask them questions that they have to think about on this meeting. AI and ‘deepfake’ technology have improved significantly in the past few years, but video chat is still your best bet.

6.      Use reverse image search. Google or tineye.com any images the internet stranger sends you. Reverse image search is like a typical web search, but it searches for images rather than words. If the image is found on the internet, you can bet that it is a stolen image and was not taken for you.

7.      Never send money to people you have never met. Never.

8.      Celebrities have enough money and can find ways to access their money. They do not need an online stranger’s help, no matter how good your intention.

9.      Once you confront an online scammer about their identity, they will likely get angry, defensive, or threaten to leave. This is because they know they might lose their access to your money. They may also cling harder to you or reach out with another fake account.

10.  If someone online wants you to keep them a secret, they are a scammer. If they do not want you telling anyone about sending them money, they are a scammer. If they want money in a specific form (usually gift cards), they are a scammer.

If you believe you have been scammed by an online impersonator, reach out to Center for Elder Law and Justice at info@elderjusticeny.org or 716-853-3087.