Mia Tyler, the daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, warned people on Instagram about online scammers pretending to be her or her family. She said she gets hundreds of messages from fans and friends telling her about fake accounts. These fake accounts pretend to be her, her dad, or people who work with them. Mia said, “These people are scammers.”
She made it clear that neither she nor her family would ever ask anyone for money. Mia added, “If you think you’re in an online relationship with my dad, I’m sorry, but you’re not. He doesn’t talk to anyone online—not even us, his family.” She also said she’s read some very sad stories from people who were tricked by fake accounts. “I’m really sorry there are bad people out there trying to steal your money,” she said. “Please don’t fall for it.”
Fake celebrity accounts have become a big problem on social media. According to the Federal Trade Commission, online romance scams became three times more common between 2012 and 2016. Scammers often pretend to be famous people so they can trick fans. They use real photos and information found online to make their profiles look real. Many fans believe these accounts are real and end up getting scammed.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has received thousands of reports about people pretending to be celebrities. Many victims have lost a lot of money. Most of the time, scammers send private messages on social media, where it’s easy to create fake accounts.
To stay safe, experts say to always check if a celebrity’s account has a blue check mark showing it’s verified. Also, check if the account links to their official website or other real pages. Most importantly, real celebrities and their teams will never ask for money through private messages. If someone does, report the account right away.
