Caution Scam - My Photos And Identity Is Used To Fraud
Dear Aviator,
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY!
I once again have to highlight a very unpleasant topic, which concerns all of us – Fraudulent behaviour targeting my beloved Aviator community.
Since I became more popular on social media, my identity and photos have been used by criminals to commit serious crimes. Leaving nothing but broken hearts, empty bank accounts and despair for those who have been scammed. In the recent past, new and shocking fraud cases have been brought to my attention, so I will give you guidelines on how you can protect yourself and what you can do when a fraud happens to you.
My Official Social Media Pages
If you have chatted with me via Telegram, What’s App, hangout or any other platform/ app other than my official pages then IT WAS NOT ME!!!
I only have one profile on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Both are named @pilotpatrick and are verified accounts (blue mark behind the name) I am not using any dating platforms or any other apps to communicate with my Aviators. My private Facebook account is with my real name and for my friends and family only. (Patrick Biedenkapp)
It makes me so angry. Not only you are a victim of the scam but I am as well!
Imposer Scammer Faker
One of the greatest downsides of my social media presence is scammers. There are people who steal my identity and create profiles with my photos to scam other users. When I first found out about it, I thought that they just wanted to chat and to get some attention from the other end. I was greatly mistaken.
My fake profiles are used to betray people and to make money out of them. Words can not describe their criminal activities on the internet. They are pathetic and I feel really sorry for all the victims. With my photos, they have managed to ruin others’ lives, made people commit felonies and managed to get a lot of money from their victims.
The most common fake profile names:
- Henry Hernandez
- Henry Prince
- Pilot John Patrick
- Patrick Wilson
- Pilot Patrick Stuart
- Patrick Nathan
- Oscar Ronald
Just a few fake profiles on Facebook! The platform itself does not really help me.
Different Strategies
Victims have been informing me of their stories and it is shocking to see how clever and deceitful the way the scammers operate. It is always about money and they use different strategies to scam others. I will not mention any specific details, but scammers are very good at false representation, duping people into believing they are in contact with me.
Not only women have been betrayed, but also men, who were seeking a job in the cockpit. Their desperation was used so scammers could make money. The worst case I know about deals with a woman from New Zealand who transferred over 2000$ to pay for my landing fees. I am pretty sure there are many other cases I do not know about.
Fake IDs and licenses. Photoshop makes it possible. Have a close look to see if it makes sense.
Who Is Behind The Scam?
I am always saying “they”. I can only assume, but I think that the fake profiles are created by a network. They have been using the same profile names and the same scam over and over again.
The European Union did not allow the scanning of faces online, because of data protection. This tool would recognize when a profile uses photos of a person who already exists. This would be a great advance against the fight against fake profiles. I am not the only one whose photos are being stolen.
Scammers not only destroy the reputation of online platforms, but also the reputation of the innocent person in the public eye.
It makes me very sad and mad to hear about new victims every day!
What Can You Do Not To Become A Victim?
Here are some easy tips to follow to stay safe online:
- Never ever send money online to a person you do not know. I would never ask for money from my Aviators!!! I have no family in need.
- Question yourself and do not be naive.
- Don’t get fooled by what you see. Scammers have the technology to “show” a different person appears in live calls.
- When chatting via a platform other than my official ones it is not me!
- Do not get blinded by love. The scammers are using the most powerful emotion, love, to scam people.
- I have only one telephone number which is a German one.
- I would never send official documents like licenses, passport scans, IDs to people I do not know.
- Compare my voice with the voice and tone of the scammers.
What Can You Do When You Are A Victim?
If you became a victim of a scam and lost money or committed a felony, then I want you to do the following:
Please consult your local police department. I am NOT the person who can help you. Be aware that I feel very sorry for you and it breaks my heart that this has happened to you.
It is very important that you do not feel ashamed. You need to have the power to speak up. This will help prevent more scams from happening in the future and more importantly, that scammers will be caught and punished. Additionally, this will increase the pressure on Messenger apps and Social Media Platforms to fight against fake profiles.
On The Media
I am not the only one whose photos are being stolen to cheat and scam others. But my case got so extreme that the media featured me in a documentary and an online newspaper article.
Instagram and Facebook are not supportive at all. Sometimes profiles (which are obviously fake) do not get deleted, or can take days for the profile to be removed.
I hope that we will win the fight against the scammers! WE WILL!
Please stay safe online as well. Do not be naive online and always question yourself!
Always happy landings!
Your PilotPatrick