Trace Adkins issued a statement warning of imposters on social media.
The country hitmaker took to social media on Wednesday (Feb. 1) to issue an alert to fans about imposter profiles that have been appearing throughout social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“Hey everybody, this is Trace Adkins. I can’t believe I’m having to do this, but I just wanted to take a minute to let you know that there are a lot of imposter accounts out there on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, pretending to be me,” Adkins began in a video message to fans.
He went on to request that fans do interact with these fake profiles as they are not him.
“Please do not engage with these people or send them money,” Adkins continued. “I do not communicate personally on those platform through direct messages and I don’t request to follow anyone.”
A reminder for everyone about social media imposters 👇 pic.twitter.com/xoeTsA4x5w
— Trace Adkins (@TraceAdkins) February 1, 2023
The former Monarch star then clarified that the only accounts he has on social media will be verified.
“Everything from me lives only on my official page at Trace Adkins. Please make sure to look for the blue check mark on the profile,” Adkins added. “Imposter accounts will not have that check mark.”
The 61-year-old “You’re Gonna Miss This” singer concluded his video message by letting fans know “one more thing,” if they are blocked from one of his official social media platforms, “it’s because I thought you were being mean. Thank you!”
The alert comes after someone posing a Trace Adkins attempted to scam a fan into thinking Adkins was reaching out.
According to 13 ABC News, a man named Chris McClain launched a GoFundMe with a goal of $8,000 for his dog, Buddy, who is 10 years old. Buddy suffers from a bulging disc that is pinching one of his nerves.
After starting the GoFundMe for his dog, McClain shared the fundraiser throughout social media, including on Facebook. McClain says an imposter, claiming to be Adkins, contacted him on the social media platform offering to generously donate to his fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.
“This guy friend requests me and I looked and it’s Trace Adkins. I’m thinking, ‘Wow.’ Kinda thought it was shady, but then again, you never know. So, I accepted it,” McClain told the publication. According to McClain, the imposter offered to send him $5,000, saying “You know my net worth.”
The imposter went on to ask McClain to first transfer $200 to him via an electronic bank transfer. He then recognized that the person was a fake and was attempting to scam him while posing as Trace Adkins. The scammer even went as far as sending a picture of an alleged driver’s license belonging to Trace Adkins, the outlet noted.
The person, posing as Adkins, continued to harass McClain and when he stopped replying, the imposter got even more aggressive with him.
“Who would want to be fraud in doing that, you know? Especially with somebody I’m telling them about my dog and they want money from me when I can’t have money to do the surgery, you know?” McClain explained to the Michigan-based news outlet. “And then to use somebody else’s name. I’m sure Trace Adkins would like to know about that.”
McClain reportedly reported the fraudulent social media activity to the Better Business Bureau. While the person posing as Adkins was certainly not the country superstar, McClain’s GoFundMe for his dog, Buddy, is real and remains active.
If you wish to donate to help McClain afford a medical procedure to correct Buddy’s medical issue, you can HERE.
