Kroo Bank warns against ‘celebrity’ scam
18 September 2026
Kroo Bank urges banking customers to be vigilant against scammers posing as Hollywood celebrities, after a spate of recent cases.
Scammers posing as famous Hollywood actors, such as Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp, have defrauded victims online and via messaging platforms. Once they establish trust and forge a pseudo-relationship, these fraudulent ‘celebrities’ coax individuals into transferring funds to them. This may be by bank transfer, buying Bitcoin, or even convincing the victim to pay ‘delivery charges’ for a package supposedly being sent to them.
The use of Hollywood figures in romance scams has become so effective that Hampshire Police were recently compelled to issue their own warning*, after a series of frauds took place across the county.
According to the Annual Fraud Report 2026** from UK Finance, the number of romance scam cases increased by 22% over the prior 12 months, with losses across the industry growing by 23% to £39.2 million.
Romance scams are a form of authorised push payment (APP) fraud, where the victim is tricked into sending money themselves to a fraudster’s bank account, which makes it harder for banks to detect.
Reimbursement protections are in place for eligible victims of certain types of APP fraud. According to UK Finance, in 2025 banks reimbursed more than £354 million to victims of APP fraud, including romance scams, which is equivalent to 61% of losses.
Protecting yourself from romance scams
There are a series of simple steps people can follow, to protect themselves from falling prey to a romance scammer.
- Do your homework
When communicating with someone online, ask questions and take your time, just as you would when meeting them in person. You can use resources like Google Image Search or TinEye to establish whether their profile pictures have been used elsewhere online.
- Talk to friends and family
If you feel you are being pressured into making a decision, such as sending money to somebody else, then speak to someone you trust. A second opinion can help you establish whether it is genuine.
- Don’t send money
You should always be on your guard if someone you have only interacted with online asks you for money. They may act as if the request is urgent, but don’t let that pressure push you into doing something you’ll regret.
If you believe you have been scammed, then contact your bank immediately. You should then check your bank statements for any suspicious activity, while it’s also a good idea to monitor your credit record if you believe there is a danger of identity theft, for example if you have shared personal information.
Veronika Lovett, Chief Executive Officer at Kroo Bank, said:
“Falling prey to a scammer like this can be devastating, both financially and emotionally, which is why it’s so important to be vigilant. It’s easy to be flippant and tell yourself that you would never be caught out, but fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and that’s driving the increase in cases and losses to romance scams.
“As a bank, we take customer protection seriously, and will continue to flag trends and issues which may put our customers and their money at risk.”
