Johnny Depp warns about scammers impersonating him and asking fans for money

Johnny Depp is warning fans to watch out for online scammers.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, 61, said in an Instagram post on Monday that scammers have been "intensifying their efforts to target my fans and supporters" by impersonating him to ask for money.

"As part of their tactics, they create multiple, deceptive social media and email accounts impersonating me and members of my team," he said.

"Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice. Scammers may look and sound just like the real me. But, neither I, nor my team, will ask you for money or your personal information."

Depp shared the correct handles for his official social media accounts and stressed that he is not on X, Snapchat or Discord. He also noted he does not "offer paid meetings, phone calls, club memberships, or fan cards" or interact directly with fans on social media, via email or through chat platforms.

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"If you are ever asked for any money for a meeting, call, membership, or fan card, it is a scam," he said.

Depp also said that he and his team are "actively working to combat these illicit schemes."

The "Edward Scissorhands" star isn't the only celebrity who scammers have impersonated online.

Last week, Kelly Rowland took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a scam where a user received a direct message supposedly from the "Destiny's Child" singer asking for money for a "plain ticket" so "I can fly to your city to perform."

"Be careful out here!" Rowland wrote as she warned about the "fake" message. She added, "And don't you think I know how to spell P-L-A-N-E!"

In November, Reba McEntire similarly urged fans to "protect yourself online" and not to fall victim to scams, noting on Instagram, "I and my team will NEVER correspond with you from a direct message or cell phone number asking you for money in order to meet me."

In October, a report McAfee found that Scarlett Johansson is the celebrity whose identity is used most often in online scams.

"This ranges from the purchase of fake goods or services that then steal your money or bank details to social media or email scams that convince consumers to click a risky link that unknowingly installs malware," McAfee said. "All of these scams jeopardize consumers’ data, privacy, and identity."

Other celebrities whose names are commonly used in online scams include Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift, Anya Taylor-Joy, Tom Hanks, Sabrina Carpenter, Sydney Sweeney, Blake Lively, and Addison Rae, per McAfee.

The Federal Trade Commission in 2018 issued a warning about scammers posing as celebrities on social media and "asking fans to send money for all kinds of supposed reasons — like claiming a prize, donating to a charity, or giving help of some kind."

The agency stressed that consumers should "never send money, gift cards or prepaid debit cards to someone you don’t know or haven't met — even celebrities you meet on social media."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johnny Depp warns fans about online scammers impersonating him