The LPGA’s Lexi Thompson defiantly distanced herself from scams using her name by explicitly declaring which social media account she uses as she looks to protect herself from the same fraud that has targeted Paige Spiranac.
The 29-year-old, who finished ninth in the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship, made sure to kill any fake accounts made in her name as scam artists look to use her looks and reputation to convince unsuspecting victims to hand over cash or other sensitive information.
A common way to pull off this scam is to set up an account in the name of either a famous person, or sexually attractive woman, and pose as them in order to lull people into a false sense of security.
Often this can be done via a link to another fake account on a website such as OnlyFans, where they will pretend to offer exclusive content if someone subscribes or makes a one-time payment.
They can also phish for sensitive personal and financial information, or pretend to offer meet-and-greet/merchandize competitions to catch unsuspecting victims.
This time, Thompson was targeted for the second time and it turns out that she’s had enough as she makes sure she clears the air once and for all as to which social media accounts she uses.
“Just another reminder here,” Thompson posted to Instagram. “This is my one AND only social media page.
“There are SO MANY fake pages scamming people for money, gifts, or tricking them to think I’m in a relationship with them. IT ISN’T ME!”
How do I spot a scam?
Spiranac, known for her modelling career and for using her sex appeal to market herself and the sport of golf, had been used by the fraudsters to acquire this information as recently as August leading to her to call them out.
Charley Hull then did the same, showing a list of fans who have been conned, or attempted to be conned, out of money in exchange for a meet-and-greet she wasn’t offering.
To be wary on the internet, one golden rule to follow is if it seems too good to be true then it probably is and you should steer well clear.
However, other ways to be responsible include making sure you study the accounts for how recently they were set-up, the amount of followers they have, any external links to third-party websites and copied images/videos from official accounts.
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