Scammers use various techniques to get personal or financial information from users, and AI-infused celebrity deep-fakes are increasingly popular.
The fraudulent online campaign claims that Swift collaborated with Le Creuset to offer free cookware, but instead it takes you to external sites stealing your data and your money.
Taylor Swift fans should be cautious as a new scam is floating around the internet, and it targets those looking to participate in Swift’s giveaway.
Scammers use various techniques to get personal or financial information from users, and AI-infused celebrity deep-fakes are increasingly popular.
The fraudulent online campaign claims that Swift collaborated with Le Creuset to offer free cookware, but instead it takes you to external sites stealing your data and your money.
Newsweek reached out to Swift’s publicist via email for comment.
Hackers are using Swift’s and Le Creuse’s names to gain trust, so people will click on the link.
“These types of celebrity giveaway scams are so nefarious because they relay on the trust the public has on the celebrity image that they are hijacking,” Joseph Jones, the president of Bosco Legal and Investigation Services, told Newsweek. “In this case, Taylor Swift fans jumped on the opportunity to become associated with the celebrity via this promotional deal.”
The scam happens most frequently on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, according to MalwareTips, and it’s likely to feature a convincing AI video seemingly showing Swift explaining the deal with the free cookware sets if you enter your information in time.
“Hey guys, Taylor Swift here with some exciting news!” a simulation of Swift is shown to be saying in the video. “To celebrate the holidays and thank my amazing fans this year, I’ve teamed up with Le Creuset to give away some of their gorgeous Dutch ovens totally free.”
Swift then is shown asking fans to follow a link and pay a $10 shipping fee to get the cookware set. Instead, fans will be tricked into phishing websites that steal your information. Hidden subscription clauses in the $10 sale allow the scammers to take $100-plus monthly charges from your account, and no cookware will be delivered.
“Deep-fake technology has steadily been a growing concern over the past couple of years,” David Derigiotis, the chief insurance officer for Embroker and author of Parental Advisory: How to Protect Your Family in the Digital Age of Identity Theft & Data Breaches, told Newsweek.
“The availability of these programs along with improvements to the video and sound quality make them an ideal tool for criminals. Trust is the name of the game when it comes to scams, and wrongfully using the image of popular celebrities or influencers can be the perfect weapon for stealing sensitive information and money from unsuspecting consumers.”
It’s an especially convincing scam considering clicking on the link can take you to a “foxlifestyleoffers.com” page, which shows fake news articles about the giveaway seemingly from Fox and People magazine. As a result, would-be scam victims are more likely to share their personal data by believing it’s legitimate.
According to experts, scams like this are so nefarious and convincing for a few reasons.
“Taylor Swift fans were more interested in becoming a part of the giveaway than looking out for the red flags that they normally spot when doing online shopping,” Jones said. “The limited giveaway number, the sense of urgency, and the affordability were enough to entice people to fall for the scam.”
Telling users there were “only a few left” and showing fake customer reviews made it easy for fans to not think it through before handing over their credit card information.
Sites even show a Taylor Swift quote in which she appears to say: “I can’t wait to see fans unboxing their very own Le Creuset Dutch ovens on TikTok this holiday season after entering my biggest giveaway ever.”
What to Do If You’re a Victim
The deep-fake Swift scam was across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn leading up to the holidays, and many victims were unsure what to do after they shared their financial information.
Whenever you believe you’re the victim of a scam, you should immediately contact your payment providers and banking institution saying they were scam payments.
In some cases, the bank can dispute a fraud charge and provide you reimbursement.
To stop the recurring payments every month, you might also need to contact the customer service numbers listed under the scam. You will need to be clear that you revoke your payment authorization and record any confirmation details in case the charges continue.
You also should update all your passwords and potentially sign up for a credit monitoring or bureau fraud alert system to keep track of any suspicious activity on your account.
You can also file a complaint to government and third-party protection groups so the scammers are less likely to strike again.
If you don’t take these steps, it’s likely you could fall victim to financial plunging or even identity theft, Jones said.
How to Protect Yourself
The Swift scam is just one of many, so internet users should know what to look out for before deciding to click on any link.
For one, before you click on anything, you should verify a celebrity claim or social media offer through unbiased third-party research.
And when paying for anything online, always make sure you read the terms and conditions along with any extra clauses that might be hiding in plain sight.
“The joy that people get from winning, scoring a deal, hitting the jackpot or becoming a part of an exclusive club is intoxicating,” Jones said. “The best advice for those to avoid being scammed is to remember that their financial future trumps any short-term win.”
In general, you should install an anti-virus software to block scam attempts like these from popping up. You should also be careful when installing new apps and read through the entire licensing agreement before you hit “install.”
To stop the recurring payments every month, you might also need to contact the customer service numbers listed under the scam. You will need to be clear that you revoke your payment authorization and record any confirmation details in case the charges continue.
You also should update all your passwords and potentially sign up for a credit monitoring or bureau fraud alert system to keep track of any suspicious activity on your account.
You can also file a complaint to government and third-party protection groups so the scammers are less likely to strike again.
“Taylor Swift fans were more interested in becoming a part of the giveaway than looking out for the red flags that they normally spot when doing online shopping,” Jones said. “The limited giveaway number, the sense of urgency, and the affordability were enough to entice people to fall for the scam.”
Telling users there were “only a few left” and showing fake customer reviews made it easy for fans to not think it through before handing over their credit card information.
Sites even show a Taylor Swift quote in which she appears to say: “I can’t wait to see fans unboxing their very own Le Creuset Dutch ovens on TikTok this holiday season after entering my biggest giveaway ever.”
“Taylor Swift fans were more interested in becoming a part of the giveaway than looking out for the red flags that they normally spot when doing online shopping,” Jones said. “The limited giveaway number, the sense of urgency, and the affordability were enough to entice people to fall for the scam.”
Telling users there were “only a few left” and showing fake customer reviews made it easy for fans to not think it through before handing over their credit card information.
Sites even show a Taylor Swift quote in which she appears to say: “I can’t wait to see fans unboxing their very own Le Creuset Dutch ovens on TikTok this holiday season after entering my biggest giveaway ever.”
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