Get All Access for $5/mo

Impersonation Is Great If You're Alec Baldwin, Not So Much If You're a YouTube Scammer The video channel is trying to stop people impersonating influencers and trying to foment possible scams.

By Joan Oleck

Philip DeFranco | Youtube

We all love a great impersonation: Alec Baldwin playing Donald Trump, Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin, Tracey Ullman playing ... well, anybody. (A personal favorite: Ullman as Dame Judi Dench trying to wiggle out of a shoplifting charge by bragging in a posh British accent, "Because I'm a national treasure. I can get away with anything".)

All well and good. But the humor in impersonation fades when someone uses it to try to scam you online and take your money. That's exactly what's been happening on YouTube, and the video channel is fighting back.

Related: Why It's Nearly Impossible To Stop This Amazon and eBay Scheme

This all comes out of the fact that a number of so-called "influencers," like Zoella, Rita Ora and Rogue Rocket production company CEO Philip DeFranco, have been the targets of a likely scammer, along with untold numbers of YouTube viewers.

The scammer has been sending out bogus YouTube messages that look as though they come from the influencers themselves, thanks to the YouTube feature that allows people to message one another.

The bogus message to DeFranco's followers says, "Thanks for commenting on my videos! I am selecting [a] random subscriber from my subscriber list for [a] gift and you have just won it." It then invites the recipient to "click here to redeem it" and includes a link.

That's a dangerous proposition, of course, but YouTube is on the case: "We're in the process of implementing additional measures to prevent impersonation like this," "Team YouTube" tweeted to DeFranco. The tweet suggested that anyone suspecting scammers is free to block them by going to goo.gl/67Vosy.

Related: 6 Warning Signs You May Be Dealing With an SEO Scam Artist

As The Verge pointed out this week, YouTube already has a policy on impersonation which states that "copying a user's channel layout, using a similar username, or posing as another person in comments, emails, or videos may be considered harassment." The company's policies regarding scams states, "Content that deliberately tries to mislead users for financial gain may be removed, and in some cases strikes may be issued to the uploader."

Hopefully, you've been warned.

Joan Oleck

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor

Joan Oleck is an associate contributors editor at Entrepreneur. She has previously worked for Business Week, Newsday and the trade magazine Restaurant Business, where a cover story she wrote won the Jesse Neal Award.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'I'm Not Trying to Land on Mars': Mark Cuban Takes Dig at Elon Musk to Explain Why His Online Pharmacy Isn't Trying to Make More Money

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is an online pharmacy co-founded by Cuban and radiologist Alex Oshmyansky.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Business News

'It's Not About You': How to Fire Someone Effectively, According to Kevin O'Leary

O'Leary says that if you can't fire someone, you aren't the right leader for the organization.

Business News

Meta Makes $1 Million Dollar Donation to Donald Trump's Inaugural Fund

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly gave Trump a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.