Imposters are nothing new in the world of soap operas, given the number of infamous doppelgängers, evil twins, and look-alikes with plastic surgery that have shown up on-screen over the years in an effort to impersonate their victims. But with the advent of social media, it's the actual soap opera stars that have found themselves battling online imposters and scammers of various degrees.
Imposters are a soap staple, with doppelgngers, evil twins, and look-alikes with plastic surgery who have shown up on-screen over the years to create mayhem. But on social media, real soap opera stars have found themselves battling online imposters and scammers.
Days of our Lives' Peter Reckell (Bo Brady) is one such star, and the actor recently acknowledged in a statement that someone or a group of someones has been impersonating him in online circles, asking for money for a purported "fan club."
Reckell recently told Soap Opera Digest that no such fan club exists, and he warned his fans to stay away from anyone claiming to be him.
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"Hi! just so you know, I do not have a fan club or a Facebook page. Please do not be taken in by the imposter who is asking for money. This imposter is even being so bold as to call people. I'm sorry if anyone has been fooled by this person. Please tell your friends, post messages, anything to let people know about this imposter. Many people, besides myself, have contacted Facebook to have them remove this site, but Facebook has refused. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Peter," Reckell said in a statement.
Reckell, who recently returned to both DAYS and starred in Beyond Salem: Chapter Two as Bo, isn't the only soap star who's had to clarify that they were the target of online imposters and scammers. In August, General Hospital's Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves; ex-Kelly Andrews, The Young and the Restless, ex-Annie Dutton, Guiding Light) recently took to Twitter to clarify that she was not reaching out to a fan on Twitter via direct messages.
Another DAYS star, Galen Gering (Rafe Hernandez; ex-Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, Passions), had a similar imposter experience in August. Gering's imposter posed as the actor on Instagram and sent private messages to followers with claims that he would offer a VIP tour of his locker and the DAYS studio for a certain price.
A good rule of thumb is to remember that soap stars will not seek fans out and message them privately asking for money. If you're unsure if an account is legit, you can do a quick Google search with the actor's name and the social media platform as the search terms. If the actor has an official account, it will be listed and oftentimes marked with a blue check mark. You can always message Soap Central, and we can check it out for you. You can find Soap Central on Facebook (facebook.com/soapcentral), Instagram (@thesoapcentral), and Twitter (@soapcentral).
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