Online scams featuring fake ads of Canadian media personalities like Kelsey McEwen and Mary Berg are everywhere. How do they work and who do they target?

The internet and social media have made it easier than ever for scammers to exploit the likenesses of public figures in their schemes. And recently, several well-known Canadian women in the media, including meteorologist Kelsey McEwen, talk show host Marilyn Denis and chef Mary Berg, have spoken out about their images being used in fake advertisements or articles on social media.

These fake posts can be found on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X (aka Twitter), among other social media platforms. They're generally linked to websites that may look familiar, but are fake, and try to get the user to enter banking information.

McEwen recently took to Instagram after seeing fake ads about herself. In a Reel, she included screenshots of some of the fake articles, with one that read “Police searched Kelsey McEwen’s house and were shocked by what they found.” Another included edited images of her face with fake bruises.

“There are some fake ads online right now using my face and my name and writing these awful headlines to get you to click through because they're trying to scam you,” she said in the Reel. “They're trying to get you to not only get the clicks but also enter your credit card information and buy God knows what, probably nothing, just take your money.”

“Please do not click these. They are fake and there's nothing atrocious going on in my life other than I haven't had a full night of sleep in a really long time,” the mom continued.

But how exactly do these scams work, who are they targeting, and what can you do to protect yourself? Here’s what you need to know.

The rise of scams involving public figures

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), scammers are increasingly using photos and likenesses of public figures to add credibility to their fraudulent efforts.

The CAFC told Yahoo Canada in a statement that these scams often include romance scams, investment fraud and extortion. They rely on the trust people have towards these public figures to con victims who wouldn’t suspect it.

In 2023 alone, the CAFC received 4,010 reports of investment scams, for example, with 3,631 victims losing a total of over $309 million.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE), along with various Government of Canada partners, recently launched a campaign to educate Canadians on how these types of scams work and what to look out for.

According to the CSE, “The scam technique that uses the name and image of public figures is a type of social engineering, and if their likeness is used to promote a product or to click on a link — whether real or fake — it could lead to possible phishing scams.”

Social media platforms are also grappling with deceptive content. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, told Yahoo Canada it’s against their policies to run ads that use public figures to scam people out of money.

“We have put substantial resources towards tackling these kinds of ads and have improved our enforcement significantly, including suspending and deleting accounts, Pages and ads that violate our policies,” a Meta spokesperson explained. Facebook has also developed specific detection models for “celeb-bait” ads.

However, Meta emphasized that this issue is not unique to their platforms: “It’s important to note that this isn’t new, nor limited to Meta’s platforms. It’s plagued the online ad world for years, and we don’t expect this fight to be over any time soon.”

YouTube, for example, has strict policies in place to protect users from deceptive content. “Protecting our users is a top priority, and we have strict ads and content policies to protect people from scams,” a Google spokesperson told Yahoo Canada.

“Our enforcement teams are constantly monitoring ads and content on YouTube to ensure that bad actors do not deceive users, including by impersonating celebrities and other public figures. When we find ads that violate our policies, we take immediate action, including removing the ads and suspending advertiser accounts when necessary.”

Who do these scams target?

The short answer? Everyone. The CAFC stated these scams do not discriminate based on demographic factors, making virtually anyone a potential target.

With social media, scammers can cast a wide net and reach people who may not be aware of how deceptive ads can be.

According to Google, their platforms have strict ads policies that govern the types of ads allowed, including prohibiting the use of manipulated media like deepfakes and other doctored content designed to deceive.

They also do not allow ads that imply affiliation with or endorsement by public figures without their knowledge or consent. This year, Google announced a policy update that allows their teams to take stronger action against accounts promoting fake endorsements or affiliations with public figures.

How the scams work

The goal of these scams is simple: “Duping the victim out of their hard earned money,” the CAFC said.

When someone clicks on a fake ad or article, they can unknowingly install malware (a virus or spyware) on their device, be directed to a phishing site that steals their financial details, or be emotionally manipulated into donating money to a fake cause.

Data harvesting is another common tactic, where visiting a fraudulent website allows scammers to collect personal details like IP addresses, location data and browsing activity, which can then be used for targeted scams. “In general, fake articles and ‘deepfakes’ are tools scammers use to deceive and exploit people for financial gain and access to personal or financial data,” CAFC explained.

The CSE emphasized that these scams are designed to manipulate and misinform the public. Janny Bender Asselin of the CSE noted, “There are many layers to these types of social media posts, and it is important to be aware of all these layers and ask questions if it doesn’t seem quite right.”

Facebook (Meta) encourages users to report suspected scam ads so that they can investigate and take action.

Similarly, in 2023 alone, Google blocked or removed over 206.5 million ads that violated their misrepresentation policy. Google uses both human reviewers and AI (artificial intelligence) to identify and respond to content that violates their policy. "LLMs can begin enforcing policy violations far more quickly and with less data, making our enforcement efforts more nimble and effective against emerging threats," the spokesperson explained.

YouTube also uses machine learning to find and remove “deceptive behaviour” quickly. In the second quarter of 2024, YouTube removed over 8.4 million videos that violated Community Guidelines. More than 96 per cent of those videos were flagged by automated systems before human intervention.

Why use public figures in these scams?

Scammers often choose high-profile personalities because they bring legitimacy to their schemes. For example, Kelsey McEwen’s trusted presence as a meteorologist and TV personality can make an ad seem more credible to viewers who recognize her.

This tactic is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust that public figures have built with their audiences over time.

She’s not alone. Talk show host Marilyn Denis was targeted a few years back, and took to X (aka Twitter) at the time reminding her followers to not purchase from scams that uses her likeness.

The winner of MasterChef Canada Mary Berg was targeted on X earlier this year, with edited photos seeming like she’s in handcuffs, with a link leading to a fake news site. That site was found to be linked to a cryptocurrency trading platform, The Canadian Press reported.

Meteorologist McEwen urged her Instagram followers to be cautious.

"Please do not get scammed by this. If you see these ads just report them, you can send me a link to them or screenshot it," she said. "We're working to get them taken down.”

She assured she and her family are OK — and reiterated there’s not much she can do about it. “I'm sorry this is happening but it's not something we can control other than to try and get it taken down," she told followers.

How can you protect yourself from online scams?

The CAFC said it’s important to be vigilant when seeing online ads or articles that seem too good to be true. Here’s what you can do:

1. Research

Social media users should do their research “before clicking on ads and parting with any of their hard earned funds.” Legitimacy of ads or offers can be verified by searching the internet for discussions on forums, as there are many alerts posted about fake ads already.

2. Verify investment platforms

When investing, always verify that a platform or website is registered with the respective regulatory bodies in your province and check forums for discussions. The Securities Commissions often post alerts regarding fake investment platforms.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it most definitely is,” the CAFC cautioned.

Those who come across suspicious posts or ads on social media can report them. On YouTube, for example, users can report a post by clicking the three dots that appear next to an ad and completing a short form.

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