West Fargo resident Mary Pickarell was thrilled to get a text that appeared to be from Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna — known to cheer on her football star son alongside his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
The text said Pickarell had won a special Mother’s Day prize: a personal visit from Swift herself and a brand-new pickup truck courtesy of the pop sensation.
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As the local media outlet Valley News Live reports, Pickarell was told all she needed to do to arrange delivery of the pickup was pay a $100 fee via a Walmart gift card, which she promptly did.
Pickarell couldn’t believe her luck. Turns out she shouldn’t have believed it. Neither Swift nor the truck ever arrived.
“I went into tears,” Pickarell said. “No part of me thought it sounded off. I was just anxious to meet Taylor Swift in person.”
Celebrity scams are on the rise
Pickarell discovered she’d been the victim of a cruel scam after calling the Valley News Live team.
They advised her to contact the police. While Pickarell did just that, it was too late to get her $100 back — a concern given that she’s on disability with limited income.
“I want to let everyone know there are scammers out there and they will get older people,” Pickarell advised. “Don’t believe anything unless you talk to your family, friends, police, even the news.”
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Pickarell is one of countless people to lose money to an impersonator. According to the Federal Trade Commission, victims lost $2.95 billion to imposter scams in 2024.
Such scams take different forms, including criminals pretending to be from the government, family members in trouble or celebrities like Swift. The con artists use high-pressure tactics and may even manipulate people’s fear, demanding sensitive information or unusual payment methods — like gift cards, as Pickarall was asked to provide.
In recent years, the rise of AI has led to an increase in celebrity scams.
The AARP reports that criminals have gotten much more sophisticated than just sending fake texts like the one Pickarell received.
They’re now making convincing deep-fake videos appearing as someone famous to get people to part with their funds. Celebrity scam scenarios include:
Romance scams where victims are convinced they’re in a relationship with a celebrity who then begins to ask for money. Merchandise, investment or crypto scams that use fake celebrity endorsements. Fake prizes, like the Taylor Swift pickup truck scam that ensnared Pickarell.
One recent example of how AI has been used in this way involves a woman who paid $160K to a fake Keanu Reeves after she saw a video and, convinced it was the actor, fell for a romance scam.
In May, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a warning about such scams.
"While it may be disappointing to hear, you are probably not in a secret, long-distance relationship with Garth Brooks,” she said. “If someone claiming to be Garth or any other famous figure is asking you personally for money, don’t send it. It’s almost certainly a scam.”
How to avoid falling for a fake-celebrity scam
The FTC advises searching for the celebrity’s name and the product or charity they appear to be endorsing online along with the word "scam.”
If you do fall for a scam and send money to a con artist, the FTC advises calling the police and the financial services firm or gift-card company you used for the transaction to report the fraud and request help recovering your funds.
When you report the incident to authorities, you can help with investigations that will help prevent others from being blinded — and blindsided — by star-power scams.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
