Two locals lose thousands in online celebrity imposter scam

Scam targets retail-shop customers Canada-wide A Calgary woman is out hundreds after purchasing a gift card only to find out it had no value when she first tried to use it.

Police warn residents to be on the lookout for online celebrity imposter scams.

South Simcoe police say these scams often involve imposters reaching out to the celebrity's followers and asking for money for various purposes, such as donations to charity or ticket purchases for meet-and-greet events.

Recently, police say they received two reports of local individuals falling victim to this scam and losing thousands of dollars.

Police recommend being cautious of messages from accounts claiming to be from celebrities, verifying the account's authenticity, and avoiding sharing personal information or sending payments to unknown individuals to avoid becoming a victim.

If you encounter an online celebrity impersonator, police encourage reporting it to the appropriate social media platform, the police, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.