A 72 year-old Johnston County woman thought she was helping out one of her favorite actors. Instead she lost thousands of dollars in a scam.
The victim said she saw a Facebook post in October from someone pretending to be Chris Evans, an actor best known for his role as Captain America, a Marvel Comics character. The victim said the social media post, which appeared realistic, had all the appearances it was from Chris Evans himself. The post claimed the movie actor was having legal issues and needed money from his fans to pay an outstanding legal debit.
The victim withdrew money from both her 401K and a retirement account. Altogether, she lost $23,810.23 in money before realizing it was a scam and the person was only pretending to be her favorite actor.
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
The celebrity scam isn’t new. Scammers posing as celebrities on social media ask their fans for money for many reasons including donations for charity or for other help. According to the Federal Trade Commission never send money, gift cards or prepaid debit cards to someone you don’t know or haven’t met – even celebrities on social media. If you fall victim to the scam, contact the social media site, the FTC and local authorities.
