The twists and turns on Emmerdale don’t just happen on screen but offscreen, too. Soap fans need to be aware – a shocking scam might be on their way! Fraudsters are pretending to be soap stars, fooling the viewers into giving away their money. But how is this happening, and who is behind all this mess?
Scammers Pretend To Be Actors: A Viewer Loses Money
An Emmerdale fan shared how her mother was tricked into a shocking scam. In 2023, Kirsty’s mother received calls from someone pretending to be Tony Audenshaw – Bob from ITV Soap. Kirsty got suspicious when she noticed changes in her mother’s life, which led her to visit her mother and unfold the truth.
When she reached, she was shocked to see suitcases in the hallway. Her mother revealed that she had fallen in love with one of the soap characters. But soon Kirsty discovered that her mother had been scammed, losing almost £20,000 on gift cards. At first, her mother was only sending small amounts, but by December, she started transferring 300 pounds per day.
By the time Kirsty asked how much she had sent in total, it had already reached 15000 pounds. She hugged and explained to her mother and gently explained that she had been scammed badly. Luckily Kirsty managed to recover some of her mother’s money, but it wasn’t over yet!
Emmerdale: AI Generated Videos: Are Fans At Risk?
Less than a year later, Kirsty’s mother got caught in another scam, but this time it was different! The fraudster pretended to be Jeff Hordley – Cain Dingle from Emmerdale. Kirsty noticed that her mother had spent 2000 pounds in just three days. She immediately called her and asked, but her mother explained that it wasn’t a scam. She claimed that Jeff himself had sent her videos.
The fraudsters had used AI to make the videos, manipulating them in a way that led her to believe that it was Jeff himself. ITV’s Tonight investigated and uncovered dozens of fake accounts on Facebook – 7 fake profiles of Tony Audenshaw and 90 fake accounts of Jeff Hordley! It’s not just them. The Emmerdale star Lisa Riley – Mandy Dingle revealed that her name and image are constantly being used to scam the viewers and the problem is only getting worse.
Soap fans must stay alert and avoid sending money to anyone claiming to be a celebrity. But could this impact Emmerdale’s reputation? Have you ever encountered a scam like this? Share your thoughts in the comments. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Emmerdale updates!
