Johnny Depp warned fans about online scammers impersonating him following a Gizmodo report that revealed the Federal Trade Commission received nearly 200 complaints about fake Depps billing people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Sadly, it has been brought to my attention that online scammers are intensifying their efforts to target my fans and supporters,” Depp wrote in a note shared on Instagram. “As part of their tactics, they create multiple, deceptive social media and email accounts impersonating me and members of my team. Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice. Scammers may look and sound just like the real me. But, neither I, nor my team, will ask you for money or your personal information.”
These kinds of celebrity impersonation scams have spread wildly over the past couple years, especially thanks to the proliferation of new artificial intelligence tools, as Depp's statement noted. They're also similar to so-called pig butchering schemes, where scammers assume fake identities (not even necessarily famous people), lure victims into emotional relationships, then bleed them for money, often by promising big returns on some investment opportunity.
Back in October, the cybersecurity firm McAfee released a list of the most-impersonated celebrities for these kinds of cons, with Depp landing at number nine. Others on the list included Scarlett Johansson, Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift, and Tom Hanks, who issued a warning about a scam last summer where his AI-generated likeness was used in ads promoting “miracle cures and wonder drugs.”
A couple months after the McAfee list, Gizmodo published its report centered on the Depp-specific scams. The outlet filed a Freedom of Information Act request and obtained a whopping 197 FTC complaints from people who'd been contacted by phony Depps. The majority of victims were in their sixties, or older, and losses spanned from a couple thousand dollars to, in some cases, $100,000, $200,000, and $350,000.
In his message, Depp told fans to be on the lookout for certain tells to ensure they don't fall victim to these scams. Along with reiterating his social channels, he said, “I do not offer paid meetings, phone calls, club memberships, or fan cards. If you are ever asked for any money for a meeting, call, membership, or fan card, it is a scam.”
He also said, “I do not interact directly with fans on any social media platforms,” and stressed that neither he, nor any member of his family or team, would “ever contact you on my behalf asking for money or your personal information. ”
