All articles tagged with #impersonation
A former Oakland Athletics bat boy impersonated Eric Byrnes to attract women, a tale Byrnes shared on his Deuces Wild podcast. The ruse involved driving with the impersonator posing as Byrnes, leading to one passenger entering the car before the truth came out. Byrnes says the incident was ultimately confronted in the clubhouse, and an agreement was made that the deception should not be repeated.
Daejon Love, accused of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player to fleece women, was arrested in Idaho and faces two federal charges (conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud) for stealing about $1.3 million from 26 victims. His accomplice, Taylor Chan, allegedly posed as his financial adviser. Love’s new booking photo shows him in a jail jumpsuit as he awaits transfer to Oregon, where prosecutors say he is a flight risk; the penalties can reach up to 20 years in prison per count.
A man who allegedly posed as a San Francisco 49ers player to swindle dozens of women is being held in an Idaho jail while prosecutors seek his transfer to Oregon to face two federal wire-fraud charges; his teenage accomplice, Taylor Chan, is on release pending trial, and Love is deemed a flight risk.
Federal authorities arrested Daejon Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, in Idaho on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges after Love allegedly posed as a San Francisco 49ers player and wooed 26 women into a scheme that defrauded about $1.3 million since 2022; Chan acted as his investment adviser, and the FBI says there are likely more victims.
Reality TV personality Angel Victoria Murdock allegedly faked graduating from Duke’s Physician Assistant program and claimed to be licensed as a realtor in North Carolina and Georgia. Duke says there’s no record of her attending or applying to the program, and licensing databases don’t show any NC/GA real estate licenses. Impersonating a Realtor is a misdemeanor in NC (potential jail) and GA (fines), and the more serious lie could bring real legal trouble, as she has faced backlash and deactivated her social accounts.
Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, 37, spent more than 15 years posing as a child to receive shelter and attention, leading to fraud and identity-theft charges in Santa Catarina and Paraná. A court-ordered mental-health evaluation found her competent to stand trial; prosecutors say she deceived hosts and shelters, while her lawyers argue no financial loss occurred and that she sought care rather than to scam. The case has drawn wide public and media attention in Brazil.
A 37-year-old Brazilian woman who pretended to be a 12-year-old named Amanda for more than 15 years to gain shelter and attention faces fraud and identity-theft charges; investigators say she deceived families, shelters and religious groups, a mental health evaluation found her fit to stand trial, and her lawyers contend no financial loss occurred.
President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about a reported exchange between UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and someone posing as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, saying it was likely a miscommunication after he spoke with Burnham; the British Embassy raised security concerns but a White House aide said it wasn’t related to a device hack, and Trump also floated opening the North Sea as a potential boon for the UK.
UK political figure Andy Burnham reportedly exchanged a small number of messages with someone claiming to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles; officials said the contact was illegitimate and quickly reported to authorities. Downing Street declined to comment as the incident is reviewed, in a context of past impersonation and hoax attempts targeting UK and US officials, with the FBI previously probing Wiles' phone and other ministers' numbers having been exposed. No broad data breach evidence has been disclosed.
Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with someone who pretended to be Susie Wiles, a close adviser to Donald Trump. Burnham became suspicious and alerted authorities; Politico first reported the incident, and the British embassy in Washington raised it with the White House. Downing Street did not comment on national security. The article notes ongoing phishing attempts linked to Wiles dating back to a 2025 incident.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener scrapped ConnieChan.ai, a parody AI chatbot targeting rival Connie Chan, after Pelosi and other Democrats condemned the tactic as a harmful AI impersonation. Wiener pulled the chatbot and related billboards and apologized, acknowledging the controversy distracted from housing, transit, and other issues. Chan’s campaign framed the stunt as bigotry, underscoring tensions ahead of the November runoff in San Francisco’s 11th District.
An unknown person using Lena Nersesian’s name has filed divorce papers against Adam22, and Adam confirms he was served in person; Lena says the filings are the work of a crazed fan and not her doing, and has previously reported similar fraud. The couple deny any divorce and say the situation is a hoax they’re actively contesting, as the impersonator persists and Lena urges police or FBI intervention.
WhatsApp will introduce a username system that lets you reserve unique handles so people can message you without knowing your phone number. You can claim a username now via Settings > Account > Username (existing Instagram or Facebook handles can be used to deter impersonation). High-profile names are reserved to prevent abuse, and you can’t browse by username—you must know the exact handle to contact someone. The rollout will happen later this year, and an optional username key will let you control who can message you.
Fraudsters impersonate famous casting directors to lure aspiring actors into paying fake union fees and onboarding costs, sometimes using AI-generated voices and polished messages. The scheme exploits the online shift in casting, prompting industry groups to launch anti-scam efforts as experts warn AI could amplify this threat in the entertainment world.
A 37-year-old Brazilian woman has been charged after allegedly posing as a 12-year-old girl to be adopted, with prosecutors saying she used deception to obtain the arrangement and faces fraud-related charges.