After 19 years, Shaggy can finally truthfully use the phrase ‘it wasn’t me’ after scammers stole his identity and started contacting fans for money.
I think we can safely say it was Shaggy who was caught on the counter, seen banging on the sofa, had her in the shower and got caught on camera, no matter how much the singer might try to deny it.
I mean, he was caught red handed creeping with the girl next door.
But the 50-year-old singer has gone out of his way to prove the person responsible for scamming fans recently is not him, and as he’s made the comments in a heartfelt Instagram post, rather than in a song, I think we can trust him.
Addressing his followers, the reggae legend wrote:
It has come to my attention that there have been posts online from people purporting to be me and hitting up my fans for money while making false claims that they owe me something. I would like to make it clear that these are nothing more than an internet scam.
I’m not sure who’s falling for this scam but just for future reference I’d say that if any celebrity suddenly hits you up asking for money, ignore them.
It doesn’t matter if it’s your favourite actor, the artist who shaped your entire taste in music or your childhood celebrity crush; actual celebrities have better ways of getting money than demanding it from their fans. Even if they did try to go down that route, I’m sure their publicist would quickly work to warn them against it.
So basically if a big name ever does slide into your DMs, I’d say there’s a 99 per cent chance you’re being scammed.
Shaggy went on to distance himself from the scammers, emphasising ‘they are not from me nor do they represent me in any way.’
He went on to express his sadness at the fact people are tricking innocent internet users, writing:
It saddens me that this has become our reality and that innocent people are being dragged in to this ridiculousness. My best advice is to please not engage with these fake accounts.
Thank you. One love to all my wonderful fans.
The singer’s followers thanked him for raising awareness about the issue, with some sharing their own experiences with scammers and others advising Instagram users to report the fake accounts should they come across one.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.