Fake AI profiles of pop stars extracted billions of dollars from fans

How does it look in practice?

Most often through fake profiles and ads that look convincing, especially when photos and videos are stolen or when AI is used to “clone” posts. Sales links, meet and greets, prize games, limited collections or last minute tickets are offered as “bait”, and the goal is to get someone to pay or leave information as soon as possible.

In one case, hackers took over the Instagram accounts of several musicians and pushed crypto fraud through them. The point is clear, it is not enough that the profile “looks familiar”, because even real profiles are sometimes hacked.

In the same report, it is emphasized that such frauds are no longer a rarity but a “normal” occurrence on social networks. They mention that 72% of Americans have come across fake celebrity endorsements or posts, and approximately 1 in 10 people say they have been a victim of impersonation fraud in some form.

The point is not only in selling fake tickets. Scammers use several tricks at once: fake profiles that look like a “team of performers”, phishing messages that steal account access, fake livestreams and giveaways that collect data, and comments and DMs that push fans to suspicious links. In the report, they also state that the five most common threats to musicians and their teams are impersonators, phishing, account takeovers, spam and campaigns of abuse or misinformation.

Taylor Swift is at the top because the fan base is huge, and the biggest lures are fake tickets, VIP experiences and “exclusive” merch drops. At Sabrina Carpenter, the emphasis is on meet and greet scams and presale links, which is going well because a lot of it is spread through short videos and quick posts that look like they are official.

The report also mentions the hacking of real profiles, which makes the whole thing even more dangerous. When a fraudster takes over a real account, it’s much easier for fans to believe that everything is legitimate. In 2025, big acts like Adele, Future, Pink Floyd and others were mentioned in this context, where various scams were pushed through crypto or “quick money”, not just music and tours.

What to do even when it seems legitimate

First, buy tickets and merch only through official sites and verified sales channels, not through a link from a DM message. Second, if someone is forcing you to pay immediately, especially with crypto or external links, that’s almost always an alarm bell. Third, look at the details of the profile: opening date, interesting usernames, comments from other people, and whether there are signs that someone is older. reported fraud. And fourthly, include two factor authorization on your accounts, because part of these scams starts with hacking someone else’s profile and using it as “proof” that everything is real.