Sunrise host Natalie Barr issued a warning to her fans after scammers pretended to be her on social media to con viewers out of their money.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr has issued fans a warning after cunning scammers used her name and image on social media in an attempt to con her viewers out of money.
Speaking on the Channel Seven breakfast show earlier this week, Barr, 58, shared her concern after one fan alerted her to a message they had received from a fake account impersonating her.
In a screenshot of the message displayed on screen, the fraudster sent an Instagram message to a viewer named Sharon, using the handle @natalie_barr_7 and Barr’s picture.
“Hello, Sharon! How are you doing?” the swindler posing as Barr typed.
Sharon replied: “I am well, thank you. Love watching you on Sunrise xx,” prompting the scammer to respond claiming they had been “monitoring” her profile.
“I have been monitoring your profile and others too for a while, then noticed you are truly a big fan of my works. Where are you from?” they said.
Thankfully, it appears this message led Sharon to become suspicious of the Instagram account, and she blocked it, thus preventing it from contacting her again.
Barr said she has been made aware of a number of similar incidents where fake social media accounts have pretended to be her.
With the screenshot still displayed behind her, the presenter said: “That is not my social media name. You can see there are a few small differences.
“Some of these accounts are sending private messages to people like you, striking up random conversations.”
Barr added that she does, at times, communicate with fans via her verified @natalie_barr7 account, but she would never contact them in this way.
“I love hearing your feedback about the show, your stories, your favourite interviews and yes, even questions about what I’m wearing,” she continued.
“But these messages are different. I would never contact someone out of the blue claiming I’ve been monitoring their profile.
Nat Barr said she will, at times, communicate with fans via her verified Instagram account. (Picture: Instagram)
“I would never ask for money, investments, gift cards, bank details or personal information.
“Sadly, scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“They use my name, my photos, and sometimes even copy my entire profile to make themselves look legitimate.”
Concluding her announcement, Barr urged her fans to “trust your instincts” if a message “doesn’t feel right”, then block the account and report it to the social media platform.
She also asked people to check in on vulnerable relatives as “they are often the people being targeted”.
Sunrise shared the warning to its official Instagram page, reiterating that Barr will never reach out to viewers requesting money or sensitive information.
“Let’s make it clear…Nat responds to as many DMs as she can, but she will NOT reach out unprovoked and ask for money, investments, gift cards, bank details or other sensitive information,” they wrote in the caption.
“If this happens to you, block and report the account.
“Stay safe online, everyone!”