22 August 2023 , 12:57
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Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden issued a stern warning to her fans after exposing a scam targeting her and her followers on Instagram.
The 52 year old celebrity is the latest victim of online scammers who have previously targeted other stars like Holly Willoughby. Amanda discovered a fraudulent account impersonating her on Instagram, using her name and photos without consent. The fake account had been created with a handle similar to the Britain's Got Talent judge's authentic account, adding two numbers at the end to give it an air of legitimacy. It even featured a professional photo of the star and claimed to be her 'back up page'.
The BGT judge took to her Instagram Stories to express her frustration and alert her followers about the scam. She shared a screenshot of the imposter profile and urged her followers to block it immediately. "This is a scam account block it," she wrote, revealing that several of her followers had been asked for money by the scammers. Questioning the motives behind such scams, asking: "Why do people do it?"
Amanda issued a wanring to her fans (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Scammers targeted Amanda and set up a fake accountAt the time of Amanda's warning, the fake account had already followed 257 fans, with 62 unsuspecting followers reciprocating.
Celebrities Dawn French and Martin Lewis have fallen prey to scams involving unauthorised use of their names or images in deceptive advertisements.
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Meanwhile, Amanda's ex-husband Les Dennis, 69, has recently been announced as a participant in this year's Strictly Come Dancing. The news broke during Amanda's lavish getaway with husband Chris Hughes, casting a shadow over her vacation as she fears the resurgence of her past scandals.
Amanda's marriage to Les ended in 2000 following revelations of her affair with actor Neil Morrissey. An insider revealed to OK! that Les' pursuit of the Glitterball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing is causing distress for Amanda, threatening to tarnish her public image.
"She's embarrassed that people are highly likely to be talking about her and Les again if he graces our screens on Strictly, the source disclosed. "She also fears that the scandal of her affair will be dredged up once more. She didnt behave well in that situation or come off positively, so its not something she wants dug back up. She never really talks about her marriage to Les in public, or mentions him, and would rather it wasn’t talked about socially.”
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