Johnny Depp has been forced to step in and issue a warning to his fans due to a rise in social media scams.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star shared a post on Monday (6 January), telling his Instagram followers that scammers “are intensifying their efforts to target my fans and supporters”.
His new statement follows a similar one made in 2022 – back when the actor was more of an online presence.
In his latest post, Depp, who recently appeared on a list naming the celebrities most commonly misused in scams, wrote: “As part of their tactics, they create multiple, deceptive social media and email accounts impersonating me and members of my team.”
The 61-year-old also addressed the dangers of AI, stating: “Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice. Scammers may look and sound just like the real me.”
However, he assured his fans that “neither I, nor my team, will ask you for money or your personal information”.
“We are actively working to combat these illicit schemes,” he said, before laying down some truths for the “protection and awareness of my fans”.
The actor revealed that he has official accounts on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, alerting fans to the fact that he is not active on X/Twitter, Snapchat or Discord.
He also said that he does not “interact directly with fans on any social media platform” or “via email, or via chat-based platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal or Zangi”.
Depp also stated that he “does not offer paid meetings, phone calls, club memberships, or fan cards”, adding: “If you are ever asked for any money for a meeting, call, membership, or fan card, it is a scam.”
He ended the statement: “Again, neither myself, my team, my agent, nor my family will ever contact you on my behalf asking for money or your personal information.”
In July 2024, money saving expert Martin Lewis analysed data from Action Fraud, looking at how frequently public figures, including Depp, Elon Musk and Adele, were mentioned in scams reported in 2022 and 2023.
Lewis went on to say that the amount of data his website analysed is likely only a drop in the ocean, considering that many people do not report scams to the police.
If someone believes they have been scammed, they should contact their bank and the police.
