The Rock Warns Fans Of Money-Hungry Online Impersonators

Celebrity

The Rock Warns Fans Of Money-Hungry Online Impersonators

The Rock/Instagram

There may be hundreds of actors and actresses in Hollywood, but there's always a couple who really stand out.

After watching countless hours of television shows and movies, it's only natural to have a favorite star.

While it's not unusual for fans to follow these celebrities on social media and reach out to them, it's rare that they'd get a response.

So, if you receive a message from an A-list celebrity, it made seem like a dream come true, but it's critical to err on the side of caution.

There are thousands of fake accounts for countless stars, and if they ask you for money, it's a ginormous red flag that they aren't who they say they are.

And Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is warning you of just that.

On September 3, Johnson took to Instagram and warned the public about online impersonators.

"Sorry if you've been affected by these fake @facebook accounts asking for $ or worse yet, actually engaged with them enough to send money in," he captioned his post.

"Hey I get it, sometimes when we're broke and struggling to make ends meet, the promise of a fast buck can be appealing."

"It's hard to mitigate these a**holes, because they pop up by the dozens daily hoping to prey on the ones who've fallen on hard times."

"Be smart, vigilant and don't engage. - DJ."

Unfortunately, Johnson isn't the only person who's had an impostor.

While these shenanigans have been around for decades, in 2012 country superstar Luke Bryan took to Facebook to inform fans of several catfishing accounts.

"Hey y'all, PLEASE SHARE THIS! i just want to let everybody in on something. there have been a lot of issues with fake facebook profiles of me. this is the only profile i use for correspondence. i don't have a personal page. if you are friends with another Luke Bryan, unfriend them and don't believe any of the messages," the "Play It Again" crooner wrote.

He also added that individuals have even gone as far to impersonate his wife too.

"Also, people are impersonating my wife of all people. she DOES NOT use facebook. unfriend anyone pretending to be her. i'm sorry for such a long post, but i want all of you, my fans, to be aware of what's going on."

Last December, Chris Pratt alerted his Instagram followers that he too was a target of impostors.

"PERVY DUDE ALERT!!! (Not a joke) It's confirmed: somebody is trying to pretend to be me on Facebook (and maybe other social media platforms) apparently hitting on a lot of different female fans, trying to get their numbers and who knows what else. I'm not joking," the actor wrote.

"Please know, I find this behavior reprehensible. If I find out who it is I'll have their account shut down and seriously would like to punch them right in the GD mouth. You hear that imposter!? Stop. My message to any fans who are contacted by someone claiming to be Chris Pratt: Look for the BLUE "VERIFIED" CHECKMARK next to the name. If there is no checkmark by my name that person is an imposter. I'm sorry.

"Tell your siblings. Educate our young ones. It's probably mostly kids who would fall for this. Makes me sick."

"It terrifies me to think someone could be hurt, their feelings or much worse, by this imposter/potential predator. I've had many, many people tell me about this. It's not an isolated incident. If anyone is in contact with this person block them immediately. "

"If it's you doing it, I'm warning you. Stop right now or you will@be very unhappy with the outcome. Go find Jesus. 🙏 praying for you."

Have you ever been fooled by celebrity impersonators? Let us know in the comments!

Maya has been working at Shared for a year. She just begrudgingly spent $200 on a gym membership. Contact her at maya@shared.com