Gina Morgan, 76, from South Wales, UK, was almost scammed.
The nan had been chatting to someone on Facebook who was posing as the Hollywood star.
Offering to sell her exclusive ‘membership cards’, ‘Robert’ tried to lure her.
The fake profile would says things like: “There are three types of membership card…
“I can connect you to my manager about getting it.”
The priciest of these ‘membership cards’ was a VIP fan card, which would set Gina back a hefty £400.
But in return, she would receive “every access’ to ‘Robert”, which includes a video and voice call, and a visit from the man himself.
Bargain – until Gina’s granddaughter, Shannon Rich, 28 found the messages on her nan’s phone.
She said: “Nan was showing me the messages on Facebook from a fake Robert De Niro profile, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
“Some people online were concerned about her, but my nan is smart enough not to give out any personal details.”
But it did take some persuading before her nan to believe it wasn’t Robert De Niro that she had been talking to.
“I’m going to show you the photo of him – that is Robert Di Niro…He’s sexy looking.
“I was having a good conversation with him,” Gina insisted.
Thankfully, there was no harm done as Gina soon realised that she wasn’t actually talking to the real Robert de Niro.
In 2023, Natwest carried out research on celebrity scams, finding that a staggering number of Brits are tricked into losing money through fake accounts.
Dragon’s Den star, Peter Jones tops the NatWest Celebrity Scam Super League.
The table features the highest value cases in which a celebrity image has been used to lure consumers into making a bogus investment.
Over £285k was lost after a customer responded to a promotional article featuring an interview with Peter Jones which looked like a genuine newspaper interview.
How to protect yourself from scams
Fraud and cybercrime comes in many forms, but there are some simple ways you can take to protect yourself:
- Data protection: Do not give any personal information
- Anti-virus protection: Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti virus software
- AvoidPhishing: Banks will never send you an email asking you to click on a link and will never ask for your personal details
- Two-step authentication: Sign-up to Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure Code whenever you are given the option while shopping online
- Stay in control: Shred your receipts and bank statements
- Report: Stop scammers in their tracks by reporting them to Action Fraud
To find out more visit: Action Fraud
