Posted on 09/26/2018 7:02:59 PM PDT by dennisw
Perhaps no other singer epitomizes the “glory days” of 1980’s rock ‘n roll like Bruce Springsteen.
“I have been loving Bruce Springsteen since the 80’s, ever since i heard him and I thought, oh this guy is so handsome and has a good voice,” said “Mary” who asked us to conceal her identity.
“Mary” said she commented on a Bruce Springsteen Facebook and got a message back from Bruce.
“I’m like whoa Bruce Springsteen, I’m good how are you,” said Mary.
Pam: “Did you think you were dealing with the real Bruce Springsteen?”
Mary: “Yes I was thinking that.”
A search of “Bruce Springsteen” shows there are dozens of Facebook pages purporting to be the “Boss”.
The real, verified account is noted with a blue check-mark.
Mary and Fake Bruce exchanged pics and text messages for almost a year — the tone turned flirty.
Fake Bruce told her he was getting a divorce, his wife had tied up all his bank accounts and he needed money.
He suggested she send him whatever she could using ITunes gift cards.
“I sent him ITunes up to maybe four, five, six-hundred bucks, little by little every week,” Mary said.
But then, “Fake Bruce” texted her a picture of his stash of gold, saying he needed money to ship it home from Dubai. He said it was a huge amount of gold, worth millions.
“My mind was just so, so like maybe brainwashed or something I said okay how much money,” Mary recalled.
She ended up sending $11,500 through both MoneyGram, Western union and a cashiers check to someone in DuBai.
“I was vulnerable at the time ,but you know it hurt, it hurts and you feel so stupid,” Mary said.
For the record, Bruce Springsteen is still married and is worth about $460-million.
78-year old Ardiss Robbins has been in contact with a different celebrity.
“I was texting somebody who said they were Kenny Chesney,” Robbins said.
Pam Zekman: “How much money did you send?”
Ardiss Robbins: “Ten thousand dollars all together.”
Fake Kenny Chesney also reached out to her after she liked a page on Facebook. .
“I realized now that Kenny Chesney never needed any of my money,” Robbins said.
Police say Robbins’ money ended up in China.
I posted this as a public service..... To keep freepers from being scammed by fake Bruce and fake Kenny Chesney etc etc
MORE——
Celebrities have started warning fans to beware of these “Fan Scams”. A group of country music stars have issued a public service announcement in which they urge their fans to ” not engage with these people or send them money.”
“Impostor scams was the number one fraud for the FTC last year,” said Todd Kossow of the Federal Trade Commission.
The F.T.C. says all kinds of imposter scams cost consumers $328-million in 2017 with over 350,000 complaints.
“If somebody asks you to send money through a money transfer or through ITunes gift cards or through prepaid gift card, don’t do it,” warns Kossow.
Recent court rulings obtained by the F.T.C. now require money transfer companies to warn customers about possible scams.
The 2 Investigators wondered if they were following these new rules, so we visited ten MoneyGram and Western Union locations posing
as a soon-to-be victim of the Jamaican lottery scam..
Pam Zekman: “I got a phone call that i won a lottery.”
Clerk: “No, that’s a scam, don’t send the money, no.”
Or needing money to bail out a young relative in what’s known as the grandparents scam.
Pam Zekman: “He’s in jail and I have to pay the bond to get him out.”
Clerk: “Absolutely not, do not send any money that’s a scam.”
All locations either gave us a verbal warning or had signs or brochures posted regarding potential fraud.
Our fake Bruce Springsteen victim concedes she was warned multiple times, but chose to send the money anyway.
“I was just so fooled,” Mary said.
“I got a little nervous thinking oh, I wonder if this is someone pretending to be Derek Hough,” said Kathy Marden.
Kathy Marden was nervous because the Derek Hough, of Dancing With The Stars Fame, she met on Instagram had an odd request.
“He said would you want to donate to an orphanage house in support of me,” Marden recalled.
Marden reached back out to “Fake Derek” during our interview telling she suspected fraud.
Pam Zekman: “He’s responding?”
Kathy Marden: “Yes and his response was LOL, which is laughing out loud.’
Pam Zekman: “He’s laughing out loud at the suggestion he’s scamming you.”
At least Marden never sent any money.but says
“It’s hard to know what’s real and what’s fake anymore and i think that’s the sad part,” Marden said.
Facebook recently revealed that in the first quarter of the year they disabled 538-million fake accounts, which represented about 3-4% of their total, active accounts.”
It’s difficult for local law enforcement to help with these scams because the perpetrators are mostly overseas.
Help/ Links:
To report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission:
https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint-ftc
You can also report impostors on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger at: www.facebook.com/help/fakeaccount
Spotting scams: Here are some things to look out for when trying to spot a scam:
People you don’t know or any person asking you for money or financial information
People asking you for advance fees to receive a loan, prize or other winnings
People asking you to move your conversation off Facebook (typically another messaging service)
People claiming to be a friend or relative in an emergency – In these situations it’s probably best to call that person before you respond.
People or Pages claiming to represent large organizations or celebrities, particularly those who are not verified
Wow, people are (D)umb
How does someone that stupid have $11,000 dollars to burn?
How many millions have been scammed from old ladies by televangelists?
Yes, people are dumb and gullible. The Democrat party is full of them. I learned a long time ago to question everything, and the only stupid question, is the one you don’t ask.
I had a friend who was involved in one. Swore the guy was US army in Nigeria. Even after he told her he felt like jumping in the well after she refused him money.
I like to think I helped her by telling her constantly to not send him money.
It was amazing how she was sure he was genuine and they were getting married after he came home.
I thought it was Skinny Chesney.
I was going to rhetorically ask “How stupid can a person be?” - but then I realized she was a Springsteen fan, after all.
“televangelists”
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Apples v. oranges - such funds are given willingly in full knowledge and are tax deductible.
Both perps are claiming to be something they're not.
In both cases the funds were given up willingly.
I'd suggest that neither has "full knowledge."
Tax deductible - right on!
LOL! These are dingbats!!
“Both perps are claiming to be something they’re not.”
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I’d ask you how you imagine a televangelist can’t be a televangelist, but you sound confused enough the way it is. Good luck.
let me guess, these starstruck women have been funding the Biden 2020 campaign...
Pam Zekman, “Attila the Hen”...I’d wondered if she was still around. Talk about a legendary old-school local investigative journalist...quite possibly the last of them.
A fool and their money are soon parted. After reading this, I find it hard to muster any sympathy. Bruce Springsteen needs money? On any planet that makes no sense.
Relax FRiend. No offense intended and no reason to insult.
In my limited experience (I don't have the stomach to watch much), televangelists claim to have healing powers and direct connections to God.
I doubt both. Therefore they are claiming to be something they are not.
Just logic.
Only in America do really stupid people have 11,000 to flush down the toilet on such obvious scams. I mean Bruce Springsteen lives in Dubai???
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