World

Warning about the 'Lovestruck Artist' Scam Impersonating Celebrities

Cybercrime Police warn of scams imitating celebrities to manipulate victims.

20 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

AI-generatedWritten by an AI system, editorially responsible — how we work

Archive photo: Warning about the 'Lovestruck Artist' Scam Impersonating Celebrities — Archive photoPhoto: Ayuntamiento de Córdoba. Delegación de Cultura y · Flickr · BY

Authorities have issued a warning about the 'Lovestruck Artist' scam, which involves cybercriminals impersonating various celebrities, including singers, actors, and athletes, to deceive people and solicit money or personal information.

According to the Cybercrime Police, these criminals create fake profiles on social media that appear to belong to public figures. They use these profiles to build trust and emotionally manipulate their victims, who, drawn in by the chance to interact with their idols, end up being exploited.

This type of fraud has led to cases, such as that of a fake Enrique Iglesias, which nearly destroyed marriages, highlighting the emotional and social impact of this criminal activity.

Authorities recommend that the public remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of accounts before engaging in any communication or sending money. The Cybercrime Police Unit has provided guidelines to identify these scams.

This item was written by an AI system on the basis of the headlines and short teasers of the independently operating newsrooms named below. We disclose this under Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act). Before publication we check origin and verifiability — anything that appears in only one place is not published — as well as language, substance and legally sensitive content. No separate substantive review of each individual item by a natural person takes place; we therefore do not rely on the exemption in Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of the AI Act. Editorial responsibility for this publication rests with the person named in the imprint (§ 18 Abs. 2 MStV). Please report errors to [email protected] — we will correct or remove the item. Full reports are available from the sources listed.