'Field Of Schemes': Victim Scammed Out Of $62K By Fake Kevin Costner

EVANSTON, IL — A scammer claiming to be Kevin Costner offering investment help swindled approximately $62,000 from an Evanston resident recently, police announced Tuesday.

The fake Kevin Costner "Field of Schemes," as Evanston Police called it, took place on the messaging platform telegram and lasted for about six months according to the victim. Despite the faux Costner's promises, the woman never received the cryptocurrency she was promised.

According to the EPD, this particular scam has impacted people since around 2018. The Federal Trade Commission warned consumers then to never send money to celebrities over social media.

"Celebrity cryptocurrency scams often use gift cards as a key component in deceiving victims. Scammers pretend to be celebrities to lure victims into sending them gift cards, claiming to help them with cryptocurrency investments or other fake schemes," Evanston police said in a statement.

Scams like these typically target vulnerable individuals, especially seniors, who believe the scammer is a certified celebrity. This perceived trust leads victims to send gift cards to the scammer's email address or QR code.

To avoid similar scams, law enforcement recommend the public be cautious of unsolicited messages and verify information. If you sent money to a scammer, contact the company you used to send the money and inform them the transaction was a fraud.

"If a message is from someone claiming to be a celebrity, it’s a scam. Never send gift cards to strangers. Requests for payment by gift card are a dead giveaway. Ditto for cryptocurrency," officials said.

For more information about imposter scams, visit FTC.gov/imposters.