Actress Sandra Bullock has raised serious concerns for her family’s safety after hackers pretended to be her sister in an attempt to scam people out of thousands of dollars.
In a statement to People, the Oscar-winning actress, 60, expressed her worry for both her family’s well-being and the innocent victims targeted by these social media frauds. She made it clear that anyone claiming to be her on social media is an imposter.
“My family’s safety, as well as the innocent people being taken advantage of, is my deep concern,” she said. “There will be a time when I will comment more, but for now, our focus is helping law enforcement handle this matter.”
Bullock, who does not participate in social media, further warned, “Please be aware that I do not participate in any form of social media. Any accounts pretending to be me or anyone associated with me are fake accounts created for financial gain or to exploit people around me.”
The actress’s statement follows a revelation by her younger sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, 54, who recently shared that several fake Facebook accounts pretending to be her were scamming people. On Sunday, Gesine posted screenshots of some of these accounts, describing how individuals were tricked into sending large sums of money.
“I spend multiple times a day reporting fakes, dealing with weird & scary emails to my business and home from men who believe that, through one of these many fake ‘me’s, they have a relationship with my sister through private messages and off-app sites and have been giving (sometimes) THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to an incredibly famous and successful grown woman,” Gesine wrote in a lengthy Instagram caption.
She explained that these fake accounts were managed by crime rings, which also created fraudulent groups with “official statements” posted under her name. “This is my only account and y’all know it’s about baking, cooking, animals, and gardening,” she added.
Expressing frustration, Gesine also pointed out that while these scams are well-known, her safety and livelihood seemed to be overlooked. “The fact that I’m put in danger, as is my livelihood, doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
Both Sandra and Gesine have involved law enforcement in addressing the issue. Gesine urged her followers, “If you see a fake account, are friended or messaged by one, report and block. The only reason I stay on FB is to monitor this for my own knowledge so I am aware of the danger coming at me.”
She noted that while Instagram is more proactive in addressing fake accounts, Facebook’s response has been less effective. “Strangely, Insta handles these things and even informs me when someone creates an account that may be an imposter. But FB? Same company with same tech? Can’t be bothered.”
