Online scams have become sadly common. Scammers, always looking for new ways to trick innocent people, often use public figures and celebrities to lure their victims. Exploiting the admiration and trust that fans have for their idols has been an increasingly popular tactic. Pretending to be these celebrities, or people close to them, criminals approach unwary followers by promising exclusive encounters, gifts, or lucrative investments.
This type of fraud affects not only fans, but also celebrities who see their names used without scruples. One of the best-known faces that has been seen in such a situation is the tennis player Carlos Alcaraz.
Just three weeks after reasserting his Wimbledon dominance, Alcaraz is spending his time not only preparing for the upcoming Canadian Masters, but also dealing with a scam that has plagued his fans.
The number 1 in the ATP ranking has learned that scammers are posing as him or members of his team to request money from his followers in exchange for an alleged meeting with him. This situation has led the 20-year-old to publicly warn about the problem, in order to prevent anyone from falling into this trap.
"It has come to my attention that there are people who falsely claim to represent me and offer my fans to meet me by asking for money in exchange. My team and I are not behind any of these requests, nor do I participate in things like that. My fans are the best and I love It's a shame that there are people who try to take advantage of them in this way," the Spanish tennis player reported.
The Damn Hoax website, specialized in denying rumors and hoaxes of all kinds, has been the one that has revealed the information about the fraud. According to the platform, an Instagram user received a direct message in which an impostor posed as a member of Alcaraz's team.
In said message, the follower was asked to get a VIP card to be able to "meet Carlos". After completing the registration, she was sent an alleged chat with the tennis player and an invitation to join a dubious investment company. Rejecting the investment offer, the impostor insisted that he must participate.
