Oprah Winfrey Warns Fans About Scam That Impersonates Her on the Internet

Oprah Winfrey attends the Tribeca TV Festival series premiere of Released at Cinepolis Chelsea in New York City on Sept. 22, 2017. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Tribeca TV Festival)

Imposters using the name of Oprah Winfrey are trying to trick people and she is not having any of it. Winfrey went on social media to warn her followers of the “fraud” on Dec. 21.

A number of fake accounts using Oprah Winfrey’s name or Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) on Instagram have popped up urging users to “follow page” and “share with friends” in order to receive handouts as large as $5,000, reported BBC News.

The award-winning talk show host has shared a video on her social media accounts reminding people not to share personal details with anyone posing as her or anyone else.

“Hi everybody, I just wanted you to know that somebody out there is trying to scam you, using my name and my avatar on social media, asking for money if you sign up for an OWN account on Instagram,” Winfrey says in the video. "It’s a fraud, it’s a fraud, it’s a fraud! Don’t believe it. Don’t give up any of your bank accounts or personal information to anybody posing as me, or anyone else, for that matter. And, have a merry Christmas.”

Her media company OWN has also issued a statement on Facebook to remind fans to be aware of the scam.

This is not the first time scammers have used celebrity names to steal personal and financial information from people. Earlier this year boxer Floyd Mayweather and director Tyler Perry were impersonated by these types of fraudulent scams, reported BBC News.

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