Prince Harry and Meghan Merkle have become the latest celebrities caught up in a crypto scam. The ads used their images and fake interviews to promote a scheme that would earn investors millions of pounds.
How the Scam Worked
According to a media report in the UK, ads using the couple’s images first appeared on Duolingo, the educational app. In one of the ads that appeared on the app, it claims that there is a Powerful message from Meghan Merkle. Users who click on the link are directed to a fake BBC report, which claims the couple appeared in an interview on the This Morning show on ITV.
The article claims that the couple discussed a wealth loophole with Philip Schofield, which could turn anyone into a millionaire in three to four months. In the article, an investment scheme called Bitcoin Evolution is mentioned. Potential victims are requested to click on a link that takes them to a new site when they find more information about the scheme.
Fake Quotes from the Duke and Duchess
The scammers used fake quotes from the couple to make their con appear genuine. Users will find a huge banner that warns them the registration is closing soon and there is a five-minute countdown to get them to sign up faster.
Besides that, there are fake testimonials on the site. One of the fake testimonials claims that an investor made $10K in the first 47 days. The site claims people can make money fast and there are no commissions or fees charged. To get started, users are requested to invest around $250. Once a user signs up, they are taken to a site that deals in CDFs. In general, CDFs are highly complex trading instruments, which are risky, especially for investors without experience.
Duolingo Has Taken Down the Ads
Once Duolingo was made aware of the fake ads, they took them down. The app told a media house that they do not pick who to advertise on the platform. However, they work to quickly take down content they deem to be inappropriate. Besides that, they have a huge list of blocked topics and advertisers to ensure that inappropriate content does not appear on the app. They added that of the millions of ads placed on the app, some inappropriate ads sometimes slip through but they work to get rid of the content as fast as possible. Harry and Meghan Merkle have still not commented on the issue.
Celebrity Images and Scammers
It is not the first time scammers are using the image of a renowned person to promote a scammy project. Recently, scammers hacked several YouTube accounts and used them to promote a fake crypto project. The scammers tried to pass off the scam as having been endorsed by Bill Gates. Some other scammers also used the images of Wissam Al Mana, a Qatari billionaire to promote a fake project on Facebook. The billionaire is currently suing Facebook for the misappropriation of his images. In general, if you find a crypto investment scheme on Facebook using the images of a celebrity, you should proceed with caution since it is most likely a scam.
Image Source: Shutterstock
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