A MESSAGE drops in your inbox from an attractive stranger or even a celebrity, telling you that you’re beautiful and they want to chat.
You think it’s too good to be true, but their profile seems legit, and you speak on and off for weeks, sending selfies and voice notes. Sadly, it’s all a con to steal your money – but luckily, there’s a catfish vigilante who’s turning the tables and getting revenge – and she’s seen firsthand the terrifying schemes scammers use to groom victims.
An AI image of Becky Holmes and Hollywood star Keanu Reeves after a scammer claiming to be him reached out to her[/caption]
Becky cons the fraudsters and then posts the interactions online[/caption]
A fraudster sent Becky a photo of Elon Musk, with Donald Trump, holding up an image of her to try and prove he was legit[/caption]
Becky Holmes, 46, from Warwickshire, has found an unlikely knack for playing fraudsters at their own game, unravelling their dark web of deceit and protecting vulnerable victims.
She’s been chatted up by good-looking soldiers and other seemingly great catches – even A-list celebrities who all turned out to be con artists.
These fraudsters’ clever profiles are set up to deceive trusting people out of money – and Becky plays along to expose them, no matter who they are.
“Keanu Reeves” even warned Becky to be careful of people pretending to be him, and told her: “It warms my heart to see people love me for who I am and not only what I do”.
She comically responded with pictures of herself in a mine, saying she’s being held prisoner and forced to work, turning the tables and asking him for help.
Eventually, Becky said: “Forget it. You’re useless. I’ll ask Liam Neeson instead. He has a set of special skills.”
Meanwhile, when she informed “Mark Wahlberg” she was also talking to Reeves, he hilariously warned her to be careful because it could be a scam.
He then pretended to call the John Wick actor on Becky’s behalf, even sending a screenshot of a call to “Keanu”, warning her that whoever she was speaking to wasn’t the real actor.
He told her to “think wisely” and asked if Reeves has ever called her or sent a voice message to verify his identity.
The screenshots of these exchanges with “celebrity boyfriends” are posted online to the delight of social media users who love to follow along.
But there’s a dark side to the comedy – as many women fall for these accounts and end up sending hundreds or even thousands of pounds to supposed celebrities they believe need help or are in love with them.
Fraudsters are now using sinister tactics that are a lot more convincing than simply messaging women saying they’re an A-Lister now, too – like pretending to be a family member, or using textbook coercion and blackmail, including love bombing.
‘There’s a scam for everyone’
Becky warns the stereotype of romance fraud victims being “sad, lonely middle-aged women” is also untrue and extremely damaging – and no one is “too clever” to be caught out.
She posts her conversations with “celebrities” on her X (formerly Twitter) account to show how clever and convincing scammers can be and how easy it is to fall for it – no matter who you are.
This led to her writing a book, Keanu Reeves is Not in Love with You, the rights to which were optioned for a film.
She’s also been contacted by many victims, and has started working with the police to raise awareness of the tactics fraudsters use.
Speaking to The Sun, she explained how she’d started her X account during the Covid lockdown to keep in touch with friends and “not have to watch the news“.
Becky says: “I had a lot of messages straight away in my inbox from very similar-looking, handsome men, often in Army uniforms, and they were all declaring this interest in me immediately.
“If one had messaged me, I might have found it convincing if I were in a particular place in my life, and I would have responded genuinely initially, but it was clear by the sheer volume that something was wrong.”
Becky said lockdown in particular was a very profitable time for such scammers, because people were isolated and looking on social media for comfort.
Becky says we should not judge victims of such scams[/caption]
Hollywood star Keanu Reeves is a commonly impersonated celebrity[/caption]
She adds: “A lot of people say younger people are more savvy, but there’s a scam for everybody – no matter where you are in your life, there’s a way a fraudster can find you.
“Romance fraud is so effective because our human race is built on love and trust.
“We would have died out if we didn’t fall in love and we didn’t trust people.
“That’s two vulnerabilities that everyone on the planet has, so they’ve kind of got a head start on that.”
From speaking to victims, Becky said she recognised the same patterns as those in abusive relationships.
She tells The Sun: “Isolating you from friends and family, encouraging you to keep things secret, this is real gaslighting. It all comes down to coercive control.”
However, Becky said domestic abuse is treated “very seriously” while romance fraud is “fobbed off”.
She adds: “They’re crimes with strong similarities, but we view them very differently.”
Vile new tactics
When it comes to celebrity impersonators, Becky says we shouldn’t be so quick to judge those who are successfully targeted.
Her first was Matrix star Reeves – who, ironically, famously does not use any social media.
Becky said: “At the time, he was the most impersonated celebrity.
“Every time I got Keanu Reeves impersonators messaging me, I put a dash in a book, and I’m now on 150 accounts.
“That’s just the ones who reached out; there’s a load more following me.”
Becky said it seems to go in “cycles” with scammers looking to see who is popular or what that person’s interests are – for example, a friend of hers who is into classical music was contacted by someone impersonating a famous cellist.
And it’s not all about romance – it can often be experts in a field who people would be most likely to trust or aspire to be like.
She said there’s “an absolute tonne” of Elon Musk accounts and even people like money-saving guru Martin Lewis.
Becky says: “His image has been used in multiple financial scams – he’s someone people trust with money.
She went on to say it amazes her the number of people who pretend to be Prince William – she’s had countless messages from clones of the future king.
“The celebrity frauds are often much harder for people to understand,” Becky admits.
“They approach their victims in a different way.
“Their stories can be a lot more convoluted. It could be that they’re setting up a charity, or they use the idea of exclusive shows.
A scammer convinced Anne Deneuchatel he was Brad Pitt, and she handed over nearly £700,000 for his ‘cancer treatment’[/caption]
The con artist sent her fake images of Pitt lying in a hospital bed[/caption]
Becky said a lot of work is put into cloning different celebrity accounts, and scammers will brazenly warn victims to be on the lookout, telling them they are legit and others aren’t.
She says: “They’re in competition with each other after all.”
People who become victims being judged by others is only adding to the problem, Becky warns – pointing to Anne Deneuchatel, who was left homeless and broke after a year-long affair with an online swindler pretending to be Brad Pitt.
The fraudster sent her AI-generated images of the actor in hospital and told her he needed hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer treatment.
Becky says: “She wasn’t sent those pictures out of the blue, this person had been grooming her, and we don’t know the state she was in when she saw those.
Scammers have even sent her “selfies” taken from celebrities’ social media accounts and photoshopped images as “proof” they’re real.
“Elon Musk” even posed with Donald Trump while seemingly holding a photo of Becky.
Actor Gerard Butler apparently reached out, and Becky told him: “I’m so excited to be speaking to the ever so real Gerard Butler!”
He responded: “I’m so excited to be speaking to the most beautiful goddess of England.”
Action Fraud advice
What is romance fraud?
Romance fraud usually involves fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain someone’s trust and affection through the guise of a romantic relationship, with the ultimate goal of exploiting them for financial gain.
Romance fraudsters use language to manipulate, persuade and exploit. They work hard to make sure that when they ask for money, and require urgency or secrecy from the victim, it doesn’t set off alarm bells.
How to protect yourself from romance fraud
Never send money: If you’re in a relationship with someone you’ve only met online, any requests for money should ring an alarm bell. However sad or urgent their story is, never send money (that includes vouchers, cryptocurrency or money for investments). Report anyone who asks for money to the dating service immediately.
Get to know the person, not the profile: Treat people as you would if meeting in person, by asking questions and taking your time. Check the person online using Google image search or TinEye to see if their profile pictures can be found elsewhere online. Be cautious about how much information you share, and keep your social media accounts private and secure.
Talk to friends and family: Sometimes a second opinion can really help if you are uncertain about something, such as being asked for money by someone you’re in an online relationship with. Be wary if you meet someone online who asks you not to tell anyone about them.
What to do if you have already been a victim of romance fraud
If you have made a payment: Inform your bank as soon as possible, they can help you prevent any further losses. Monitor your bank statements regularly for any unusual activity.
Identity theft: If you have shared personal or financial information, and suspect your identity may have been stolen, you can check your credit file quickly and easily online. You should do this every few months anyway, using a reputable service provider and follow up on any unexpected or suspicious results. You can also sign up for Cifas services which can help to protect you against fraud.
You could be targeted again: Fraudsters sometimes re-establish contact with previous victims claiming that they can help them recover lost money. Hang up on any callers that claim they can get your money back for you.
How to report romance fraud
If you think you have been a victim of romance fraud, remember that you are not to blame, do not feel ashamed or embarrassed – you are not alone, help is out there. Please report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via www.actionfraud.police.uk.
If you are in Scotland, please report to Police Scotland directly by calling 101.
“Oh Gerald, you smooth-tongued rascal you,” she responded.
Meanwhile, “Prince William” wanted to make sure Becky wasn’t catfishing HIM – and requested a selfie.
Liam Neeson slid into Becky’s DM’s asking how long she’s been a fan of his and then said: “On the advice of my attorney, I got this account for the sake of security and privacy. Please keep our conversations private and secured.”
“I’m still human beside you, looking so beautiful and calming,” he gushed, asking what she does for work.
I’ve come across some that are very cross when they’ve realised I’m playing. I’ve had threats from them. You get two reactions – furious and threatening or they go and move onto someone else.
Becky Holmes
Becky said she gets a thrill when she angers a scammer, calling it a “small victory” if they block her.
She says: “I’ve come across some who are very cross when they’ve realised I’m playing. I’ve had threats from them.
“You get two reactions – furious and threatening, or they go and move onto someone else.
“I’ve been blocked by a lot of them. Which I find satisfying, it’s a small victory”
‘Pig butchering’ scam factories
Ironically, Becky also met her current partner while searching for troll accounts on Tinder, and they hit it off.
However, amid her research, she’s found there is a much darker side to such scam operations that many people in Britain don’t realise.
She said a lot of the scammers are operating in impoverished nations and use a strategy called “pig butchering“.
These vile scam factories use hundreds of trafficking victims to target victims online and face sick punishments if they fail to do so.
“It’s horrific – they liken it to fattening up a pig for slaughter,” Becky explained.
“The people who are doing the scamming have often been trafficked and are held against their will.
“In those cases, the people doing the fraud are actually victims themselves.”
Becky went on to say: “There have been terrible photos that have come out of these scam compounds, and if people don’t meet their targets, they’re beaten, executed, they’re held under armed guard.
“The world of fraudsters is becoming more sophisticated, and the fraudsters are finding more ways to make vulnerable people part of the chain.”
Becky said Prince William’s image is often used by scammers[/caption]
Martin Lewis is also used in financial scams due to his trust over money issues[/caption]
Ruth Grover, founder of ScamHaters United, started her Facebook page in 2010 after she was targeted by fraudsters when she changed her Facebook status to widowed.
The page currently has 82,000 members, and Ruth has helped thousands of victims and their families, but she warned she is only seeing more and more scams.
One of the people she is helping is the family of a 91-year-old man who believed he was speaking to a 30-year-old woman.
So far, the man has given £100,000 to the scammer under the premise that she has invested it and he will get back £800,000.
Ruth said: “He thinks this is marvellous, so he’s trying to get loans and things like that to send her some more money to invest.”
Those aged 90 to 99 lose the most money at £19,852 per victim, according to data from City of London Police.
But the most reports concern 50-59 year-olds, and nearly half of all romance fraud victims are women.
Ruth said she helps victims of all ages. From 15-year-old boys who have been targeted through Snapchat, to 80-year-old women who have sent indecent images to a scammer they met through online scrabble.
Scammers are increasingly reaching younger audiences through TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, where they have adopted a “spray and pray” approach, sending out messages to hundreds of accounts.
Victims can get in touch with Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or this website for help.
Becky’s second book, The Future of Fraud, is out next year.
Becky used Reeves as the inspiration for her book title[/caption]
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