Wildlife warrior Robert Irwin has become the latest celebrity victim of a scam involving a fabricated image purportedly showing him being arrested by armed police officers.
Concerns have arisen as the deceptive photo circulates online, potentially misleading Irwin’s loyal fan base. The image has been manipulated to resemble a front-page story in major publications such as The Australian and News.com.au, but these claims are entirely false.
In the doctored image, Irwin is depicted in a white T-shirt with a black graphic and loose-fitting jeans, handcuffed and led away by two unidentified officers. This fake image is also used in fraudulent advertisements, one of which mimics a Sydney Morning Herald article, titled, “Is this the end of his career? Robert Irwin didn’t know the camera was still recording.”
The fabricated narrative links Irwin to a nonexistent lawsuit filed by a bank due to comments he allegedly made during an episode of Channel 10’s program The Cheap Seats. Furthermore, the fake story claims that Irwin endorses a bogus cryptocurrency trading platform, misleading readers into believing they could profit by paying $375 to participate.
All allegations are unfounded and orchestrated by scammers aiming to deceive the public. Irwin has no connection or affiliation with any of the products or claims mentioned.
This incident highlights the growing concern of scams in Australia, with the National Anti-Scam Centre reporting that such frauds cost Australians approximately $3.1 billion last year, an increase of 80% from the previous year. Victims of these scams can suffer devastating financial losses, including their life savings.
The Centre advises individuals to remain vigilant, especially against scammers offering to resolve computer or online financial issues through remote access.
In response to the surge of celebrity impersonation scams, former Sunrise host David Koch shared his experiences on Seven’s Spotlight, emphasizing the personal toll these scams can take. “It’s devastating because it’s my reputation on the line,” Koch stated. “These scams are so believable that people who trust me can end up getting ripped off by scammers overseas.”
Koch is actively working to combat these fraudulent activities and has reported the scams to the ACCC and ASIC, and is involved in an ACCC case against Meta concerning these misleading advertisements.
