Overview

• Over six months, the woman sent $62,000 in gift cards via Telegram, believing the funds would be invested in cryptocurrency.
• The scammer posed as actor Kevin Costner to build trust and orchestrate the scheme.
• The Federal Trade Commission first flagged celebrity impersonation scams in 2018 and has since warned consumers to be wary of unsolicited money requests.
• Evanston police advised the victim to contact her credit card companies for possible reversals but said an arrest is highly unlikely.
• The FTC recommends researching any unexpected celebrity contacts online and reporting suspicious solicitations before sending money.