An elderly Columbia County woman was recently scammed out of nearly $3,000 by someone impersonating famous country music singer Alan Jackson.
The incident was recently reported to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office after the 76-year-old Appling woman had been in contact with the alleged singer over several months. She said the singer had professed his love for her and promised to marry her.
According to authorities, the woman was initially contacted by an individual claiming to be Jackson’s manager after the victim posted on Facebook about the singer being hospitalized. The scammer then convinced her that Jackson needed assistance because he was facing financial difficulties due to a divorce and his “his assets being frozen,” a sheriff’s report says.
Between October and December, the victim sent 36 Apple gift cards totaling an estimated $2,917.50 to the fraudster. Despite never meeting Jackson in person, the woman believed they were in a romantic relationship, the report says.
She told deputies that the impersonator had expressed love for her and pledged to marry her by January 2025. When informed that she had been targeted by a scam, the woman became emotional, expressing her desire for companionship.
“But he said he loved me!” the woman told officers. “I just wanted to be loved by someone because I have been alone for a long time.”
Authorities advised her to cease all contact with the individual posing as Jackson and to refrain from sending any further money. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the case and is reminding residents to remain cautious when engaging with strangers online, especially those who request money or gift cards.
It is not the first time an online scammer has used a celebrity name to con someone out of money. A French interior decorator, identified as Anne, was scammed out of more than $800,000 by a person impersonating Brad Pitt and his mother on social media. The scam began in 2023 when Anne was contacted by someone claiming to be Pitt’s mother, leading to an online relationship with a man pretending to be Pitt.
Over a period of 18 months, the impersonator sent Anne poems and songs, deepening her emotional involvement. Eventually, the scammer used AI-generated images to claim Pitt was suffering from kidney cancer and needed money for treatment, using the actor’s alleged financial issues from his divorce to further the lie. Anne trusted the scammer, believing their connection was real.