Fake ‘Chris Stapleton’ Scams Ohio Fan
If it's said once, it has to be said a thousand times: Never, ever believe a celebrity social media account is real unless it has a blue-check verification. Numerous country stars have spoken out on this matter; still, sadly, certain scammers get away with exploiting fans on a regular basis.
The latest of these comes in the form of an Ohio woman who, according to local news, saw Chris Stapleton's show at Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center. At the end of the show she gave what she thought was his official Facebook page a "like," and decided to send him a personal message.
"I went to the concert," she told the news outlet. "And that's when I messaged him. I was like 'Oh wow, I can message him, this is so cool.'"
From there, the story took a wrong turn. The woman recieved responses from "Stapleton," in which he thanked her for her messages and chatted with her, complimenting her on her good looks. When she confided she needed money to deal with health issues, the impostor singer said he could help her, but requested she help first by sending iTunes gift cards—ostensibly to help an orphanage.
The fan sent more than $500 in gift cards, then realized too late that the account she'd been messaging had vanished.
"I was in tears so many times because I couldn't believe that somebody wanted to help me," she said. She has now set up a GoFund Me page to help with her medical expenses rather than attempt messaging another celebrity.
This sort of story has become an epidemic of sorts, and the Nashville for Social Media Safety website is out to combat such scams, telling country fans, "Be cautious. Report fake accounts. Never give out any of your private information." (And for those wondering, yes, the real Stapleton's accounts have blue-check verification.)
The website adds, "Every day we notice more and more people pretending to be artists on social media and tricking fans into invasive situations. We want to set the record straight — your favorite artists have not and will not ever ask you for your personal information or anything like that. Know how to spot the signs of fake accounts, report imposters, and help us take charge of this growing issue to protect the best fans in the world."