The Con Begins
It all started with a chat message from Simon Brodkin, a comedian I greatly respect. He had recently started following people I know on social media. It seemed so casual—he liked some of my posts and commented on our shared activities in the comedy and entertainment business. I was thrilled; a respected comedian was engaging with my content! Gradually, he integrated himself into our small comedy group chat, occasionally dropping comments. Then came the proposal to perform at one of our bigger gigs. The messages, filled with enthusiasm and a genuine tone, seemed legitimate. I was flattered and excited at the prospect of hosting a high-profile comedian. I agreed to the proposal, blissfully unaware of the deceit.
Preparations for the comedy event began in earnest. I invested significant time and resources into the project, promoting the event and selling tickets to eager fans. My excitement got the better of me I admit, and I hastily paid the booking fee to his agent. The scammers It looked like had meticulously planned every detail, exploiting my eagerness and the public’s admiration for the comedian. But the deceit ran deeper. While the fake Simon Brodkin set the groundwork, another layer of the scam unfolded.
A genuine-looking link directed me to another big comedian’s website, Micky Flanagan, along with a communication email. Everything seemed legitimate; the links, names, and emails were checked out. (Unaware of email and website spoofing), I took the plunge and sought to book the second big act. (The emails and messages were, in reality, the work of skilled scammers who were employing deepfake technology to convincingly mimic the voices and mannerisms of this celebrity and agent). I was thrilled at the prospect of hosting such high-profile comedians and agreed to the proposal, unaware of the deceit.
Preparations for the three-day comedy event began, and I enlisted help, investing significant time and resources into the project, promoting the event, and selling tickets to eager fans. Working two jobs this and my other job. The anticipation among us was palpable as customers, big admirers, looked forward to witnessing these artistic talents. However, beneath the surface, the fucking scammers had obviously and meticulously planned every detail, exploiting my excitement and the public’s admiration for the celebrity and the event.
The Truth Uncovered
As the comedy event date approached, troubling signals started to emerged. It became increasingly difficult to reach the supposed representatives. Doubts started to surface, and then we found out and the devastating truth emerged: the actual agent contacted us, not knowing the planned comedy event. The communications attributed to him were entirely fraudulent. The real Christian Knowles from Blue Book Artist Management got in touch after Simon Brodkin’s agent passed on our details, and everything started to fall apart. The emails and communications attributed to him were entirely fraudulent. The deepfake technology was so convincing that even some of our more sceptical staff, who checked the email addresses and phone numbers, were fooled.
In the aftermath, I faced the difficult task of refunding some ticket holders and addressing the damage to my reputation and the original venue, White Lion, Kimberley. The emotional and financial toll is immense, I am frustrated, angry, and upset. My mental health has taken a massive hit leaving me to navigate a sea of disappointed fans and a very tarnished public image. The incident has drawn widespread critique fro friends’ colleagues and cybersecurity messages, highlighting the growing threat of deepfake scams. It has been incredibly hard, upsetting, and frustrating. I lost friends, business colleagues, reputation, and respect from people I admire. I should have seen the first part of the scam, but the second part was so skillfully done. It tore me apart.
However, we have pulled together and toned down the event. We are back, a bit smaller and lower-key event, but we are fighting back.
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