Sophisticated Scammers Target Stars with Fake Podcasts

A new wave of scams is targeting well-known figures, with fraudsters impersonating famous podcasters and their representatives. These scams often employ AI-generated invitations that are highly personalized, referencing specific career achievements to gain the target's trust. Seth Rudetsky, a Broadway performer and SiriusXM host, was nearly defrauded after receiving a seemingly legitimate and financially attractive invitation to appear on Nikki Glaser's podcast. The detailed nature of the invitation, mentioning his Broadway cruise and work with Sara Bareilles, convinced him of its authenticity.

Similarly, veteran comedy writer Bruce Vilanch believed he was being invited onto Terry Gross's NPR program, Fresh Air. The correspondence was meticulously crafted, mimicking Gross's style and demonstrating deep knowledge of Vilanch's work. Red flags, such as Gross personally handling bookings for NPR, were overlooked. The scam escalated when the impersonator requested money, citing NPR's funding issues, which Vilanch surprisingly provided before realizing the deception during a scheduled "interview."

Rudetsky's scam focused on gaining administrative access to his Facebook page. He was guided through a technical setup by someone claiming to be Glaser's manager, whose details, including an overseas location and a generic email address, were suspicious in retrospect. Ultimately, Rudetsky lost control of his page, though he later regained it. The scammers' ability to leverage specific personal details, potentially enhanced by AI, proved highly effective in both cases, leaving victims feeling embarrassed and questioning their own savvy.

These impersonation scams appear to be ongoing, with Rudetsky receiving a subsequent fraudulent invitation from Amy Poehler's podcast, which he verified as fake by contacting Poehler directly. The perpetrators show little sign of slowing down, even responding dismissively when Rudetsky indicated he had reported the scam. Both Rudetsky and Vilanch, who are Jewish, attribute their susceptibility to giving people the benefit of the doubt and the extraordinary, AI-assisted detail in the scams.