5 infamous online scams faced by celebs

Just like us, celebrities have found themselves in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. The difference is that their high-profile lives are constantly on display. And so, more outsiders are privy to their stories. 

However, not all scams they face are alike. Let’s look at five celebrities who have endured five types of cybercrime.

1. Mark Cuban (SPOOFING)

The email account of the U.S. Shark Tank judge was recently hacked by someone named “Noah” who alerted the star of a “breach” and had to help him “recover his account”. Cuban took to X to ask what exactly had happened to him. His followers informed the businessman that he had faced caller ID spoofing, where scammers use a fake area code, among other phishing tactics, to trick their receivers.

2. Selena Gomez (HACKING)

Imagine having to delete your Instagram because someone leaked your private photos online. This was Selena Gomez’s reality back in 2017. After breaking up with her on-again off-again boyfriend Justin Bieber, Selena’s Instagram was hacked, flooded with explicit photos of her ex. Gomez had no choice but to deactivate her Instagram account in a desperate attempt to be rid of the scammer.

3. Nev Schulman (CATFISHING)

Catfish: The TV Show host Nev Schulman has been catfished not once, but twice. He was first catfished by an "8-year-old artist" who turned out to be a middle-aged, married woman named Angela Wesselmann. Later, he hired a Twitter user as his social media manager, only to find that the woman used the account to date several men and pose as Nev online.

4. Mark Zuckerberg (PASSWORD CRACKING)

We can all learn from the mistakes of Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, whose Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter accounts were breached in 2016 by the hacker group OurMine. The cybercriminals later tweeted at the millionaire, “You were in LinkedIn Database with the password ‘dadada’!” Safe to say, even the biggest tech personalities are at risk of cyberthreats.

5. Scarlett Johansson (HACKING)

This actress faced a similar scandal to Selena Gomez, but instead of her ex-boyfriend’s explicit pictures being leaked, it was her own. A cybercriminal infiltrated her email and unearthed private photos, which were later posted online. Unfortunately, Johansson was only one of 50 celebrities targeted by the malicious hacker, whose wrongdoings sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.

Don't sweat it—instead, protect it.

We all find ourselves in sticky situations from time to time—even the wealthiest stars are susceptible. It’s important to stay educated and on top of cyber-threats to ensure you protect your digital freedom. 

A great way to do so is by using Norton Genie, our free, AI-powered scam detection tool that you can use in real-time. Genie uses advanced AI combined with Norton's extensive scam database to quickly assess the risk of a text, email, post, or website and provide guidance on what to do next.