David Koch outraged over shocking new scam attack
- Replies 11
Scammers are taking advantage of unsuspecting people again, this time targeting the popular TV presenter David Koch.
The former Sunrise host took to social media to highlight a fake image of himself used to target victims as part of a suspected ongoing scam campaign.
The edited photo showed Kochie with black eyes and a slumped, exhausted look across his face, with the caption reading, 'This article has spread like wildfire today. Read the full story here'.
Enraged, Koch called on regulators like the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) to 'crack down' on the social media platforms allowing the scam to go ahead.
'Land back in Sydney to this all over social media,' he wrote.
Kochie’s followers were baffled at the scam and got behind his call for action from the government.
One person said, ‘This is wrong, surely the government can legislate fines or similar for platforms that promote these blatant fabrications.’
‘Been blocking them for ages now […] I agree wholeheartedly,’ another user commented.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident of a scammer targeting Koch. In April, he was targeted in an elaborate death hoax. Criminals used fake news articles and social media posts to spread false reports of his death. But it didn’t end there.
A 73-year-old great-grandmother from Western Australia was taken in by a cryptocurrency scam featuring Koch earlier this year–costing her life savings of $150,000.
Dale Hambrook, the victim, spoke to a news source of the ordeal: 'I wish it could all go away,' she said.
'I got an email about Kochie investing in Bitcoin, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a few extra dollars.'
Ms Hambrook was one of the people that the ACCC had in mind when they took legal action against Meta last year for allegedly engaging in deceptive conduct by allowing the publication of fraudulent ads featuring well-known Australian public figures.
In response to the ACCC’s allegations, Meta had argued that it couldn’t have prevented the ads from appearing on their platform since banner patterns to identify scams weren’t used.
Kochie posted a similar warning on a different social media platform. ‘Beware… 2023 and the financial scams keep coming more than ever,’ he stated.
‘They are scams trying to con you by illegally using my image and attributing fictitious comments to me,’ he added.
Last month, we reported here in SDC a similar story, where other celebrities–like Ellen Degeneres–were victims of a death hoax, and how scammers are using their fame to garner the attention of potential victims. You can read more about it here.
It’s also worth reading up on the red flags to look out for when it comes to online scams, such as online trading scams, binary options scams, and investment fraud.
Things to look out for include:
Members have access to our Scam Watch forum, where anyone can post suspicious communications they suspect as a scam.
You can also report any suspected scams to ACCC’s Scamwatch here.
Have you seen a similar scam featuring famous personalities? Share them in the comments below!
The former Sunrise host took to social media to highlight a fake image of himself used to target victims as part of a suspected ongoing scam campaign.
The edited photo showed Kochie with black eyes and a slumped, exhausted look across his face, with the caption reading, 'This article has spread like wildfire today. Read the full story here'.
David Koch shared a warning on social media about scammers using his photo. Credit: @kochie_online/X (Twitter)
Enraged, Koch called on regulators like the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) to 'crack down' on the social media platforms allowing the scam to go ahead.
'Land back in Sydney to this all over social media,' he wrote.
Kochie’s followers were baffled at the scam and got behind his call for action from the government.
One person said, ‘This is wrong, surely the government can legislate fines or similar for platforms that promote these blatant fabrications.’
‘Been blocking them for ages now […] I agree wholeheartedly,’ another user commented.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident of a scammer targeting Koch. In April, he was targeted in an elaborate death hoax. Criminals used fake news articles and social media posts to spread false reports of his death. But it didn’t end there.
A 73-year-old great-grandmother from Western Australia was taken in by a cryptocurrency scam featuring Koch earlier this year–costing her life savings of $150,000.
Dale Hambrook, the victim, spoke to a news source of the ordeal: 'I wish it could all go away,' she said.
'I got an email about Kochie investing in Bitcoin, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a few extra dollars.'
Ms Hambrook was one of the people that the ACCC had in mind when they took legal action against Meta last year for allegedly engaging in deceptive conduct by allowing the publication of fraudulent ads featuring well-known Australian public figures.
In response to the ACCC’s allegations, Meta had argued that it couldn’t have prevented the ads from appearing on their platform since banner patterns to identify scams weren’t used.
Kochie posted a similar warning on a different social media platform. ‘Beware… 2023 and the financial scams keep coming more than ever,’ he stated.
‘They are scams trying to con you by illegally using my image and attributing fictitious comments to me,’ he added.
Last month, we reported here in SDC a similar story, where other celebrities–like Ellen Degeneres–were victims of a death hoax, and how scammers are using their fame to garner the attention of potential victims. You can read more about it here.
It’s also worth reading up on the red flags to look out for when it comes to online scams, such as online trading scams, binary options scams, and investment fraud.
Things to look out for include:
- Being offered the opportunity to invest in a limited-time offer.
- Being offered money-making opportunities through social media or email.
- Being offered the opportunity to invest in something with a high return and low risk.
- Being told you are guaranteed to make money.
Members have access to our Scam Watch forum, where anyone can post suspicious communications they suspect as a scam.
You can also report any suspected scams to ACCC’s Scamwatch here.
Have you seen a similar scam featuring famous personalities? Share them in the comments below!
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