"I am not dead!" - Singer Emo Adams shuts down fake news
Well, this is just taking it too far…
As social media continues to grow and dominate people's daily lives, criminals have managed to get on the bandwagon and adapt their criminal activity to the digital age.
One of the latest tactics has been to use fake celebrity profiles to lure in unsuspecting victims.
Singer Karlien van Jaarsveld spoke to Breakfast with Martin Bester about how her Facebook profile was hacked and used to steal money from her followers.
The criminals used her profile and pretended to advertise weight loss products.
Some of her followers thought the adverts were real, and when they tried to purchase these fraudulent products, they were swindled out of their money.
READ: "School sports should be made fun again" - Schalk Brits
Many Jacaranda FM presenters, including our own Breakfast host, Martin Bester, have had fake profiles created to target individuals, usually by pretending to sell something.
However, a recent incident involving singer Emo Adams has taken things too far.
Just hours after a death hoax was created about comedian Leon Schuster, reports came through on social media that Adams had also passed away.
The singer and presenter took to social media to set the record straight and confirm that he is, in fact, not dead.
"It was brought to our attention an alarming wave of misinformation flooding social media platforms, falsely claiming that I had passed away," he wrote.
"Various fake accounts, impersonating both me and my wife, have been spreading.
"Initially disregarded, the situation escalated when MY MOTHER called me distraught in the dead of night, tears streaming down her face."
The 'Oppi Noot' presenter also warned his followers to be aware of fake accounts and how to spot them.
LOOK: Another Springbok makes exciting baby announcement
"These deceptive profiles often feature numbers, underscores, or dashes in their usernames.
"I urge everyone to report these fraudulent accounts and refrain from engaging or sending any funds."
Leon Schuster is also not dead
Over the weekend, a hoax claiming that actor and comedian Leon Schuster had passed away also made its way onto social media.
Schuster, who has been struggling with his health for a while, took to Facebook to set the record straight.
"I hear I'm dead again. What crazy person posts stuff like this?"
Becoming angry, he continued: "I will kick him there so that he will never be able to have children again. It’s not nice when your people call you and say, 'I'm so happy to hear your voice'.
"This is the sixth time this has happened. Luckily, a cat has nine lives, so at least I have three left! Thank you for your inquiries and your concern and love – these are TRUE friends."
Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 - 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media:
Image: Instagram/ Emo Adams