Celebrities warn of fake accounts

DARA O’BRIAIN IS AMONG THOSE TO HAVE BEEN HIT

IMELDA May has urged fans to “use their common sense” as she warned of fake accounts with “bad spelling” that use her name to ask for money.

The Dublin singer posted the message on Instagram to highlight the “constant” fake accounts that “get very personal and ask for money and worst of all use bad spelling and atrocious grammar”.

“Fake accounts are a constant so just to remind you.. I’m not chatting to you,” she wrote. “I’m not asking you to follow, message, meet or pay me. I’m asking nothing. It’s not me. Use your common sense kids. #Iamnotyourmammy.”

She then adds: “Just to be clear.. the fake ones ask for friend requests, make out it’s a secret private message from me or management, get very personal, ask for money and worst of all.. use bad spelling and atrocious grammar!!!”

Imelda, whose dad Tony Clabby passed away last month at the age of 91, is just the latest Irish celebrity to be targeted by fake scammers who use their well-known names in a bid to trick people out of money.

One impersonator who set up a fake page aimed at fans of popular Irish comedian, Dara O’Briain, was also grammatically challenged.

The false persona had been commenting on news and social media sites, making references to a “generous virus” that has killed “millions of life’s”.

Although the page didn’t appear to be looking for money, the Facebook account took Dara’s real comments from X and re-posted them, then chimed in on other people’s conversations.

Wicklow-born Dara had previously called out a website for reselling tickets to gigs on his upcoming American tour using a random photo of a bald man to boost sales.

Dara posted his disapproval at the reselling site on X, when he said: “Hey, events Ticket Centre! No idea who you are, reselling my tickets, but I feel you don’t know who I am either, judging by the photo.”

On Tuesday, January 9, he flagged the website, which is reselling tickets to the US gigs, to his 2.5 millions social media followers, urging them not to buy from the site.

“I don’t know this site at all. In general, it’s always best to go to the venue first. But hopefully we’ll see you there! It’s probably best people just go to daraobriain.com for ticket details,” the funny man wrote.

Earlier this year, the Sunday World highlighted how a deepfake scam ad utilising footage of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Virgin Media news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick with artificial intelligence (AI) voiceovers had been circulating on Instagram.

The Instagram ad urged members of the public to ‘invest’ cash for a guaranteed return and falsely claimed the operation was approved by the Taoiseach. It also falsely claimed the scheme was endorsed by Gabriel Makhlouf, Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland.

Speaking to the Sunday World about the deep fake video, Ms Fitzpatrick highlighted the dangers of the internet in 2024.

“This has nothing to do with Virgin Media News or myself. It is a complete fake,” she said. “Completely made up. A reminder that traditional media is more important than ever and sourcing your news online from unverified sources is never a good idea.

And last year Ryan Tubridy said it was like “whack-a-mole” trying to remove the “crazy” amount of social media accounts that attempt to imitate him online.

“Honestly, the amount of these fake accounts is crazy, it’s like whack-a-mole trying to get rid of them but you all spot them a mile away,” he said as he