It’s not a new thing for scammers to impersonate celebrities on social media. These scammers will create imposter pages that closely resemble the celebrity’s true page. Then, the scammers will communicate with that celebrity’s fans.
The scammers usually try to get these innocent fans to send them money. Some people fall for the tricks because they don’t know how to spot fake accounts.
Other times, these imposter accounts will share false information that misleads the celebrity’s true fans. This is something Toby Keith and his team have noticed since he announced he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Keith received his diagnosis in the fall, but first went public with the news on June 12. He announced he is taking some time off from performing so he can be with his family.
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There have always been people impersonating Keith online. But after he opened up about his cancer diagnosis, these imposters started sharing false updates about his health,
Since these imposters can look legitimate at a quick glance, some fans have surely been concerned about the health updates they’re posting. It was getting bad enough that Keith and his team felt the need to address the situation.
Keith’s team shared a statement on his official social media pages, saying:
“We are aware of the many imposter profiles claiming to be Toby on social media, but it’s come to our attention that some of these accounts are now posting falsified updates regarding Toby’s health.”
Keith’s team said they are currently working to get the imposter profiles removed. They also told Keith’s fans that any true updates on his health “will come directly from Toby’s verified social media pages.”
The team wanted to remind Keith’s fans that he will never reach out to people personally, nor will he ever ask anyone for money.
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Several country artists got together a few years ago to film a PSA about scammers on social media. Watch that video below to learn more about how to spot fake profiles online.
We hope Keith’s team is able to get all of the imposter profiles taken down!