Beloved cooking icon Maggie Beer is urging people to beware of a “despicable” scam that’s falsely using her name and image to sell a “cure all” made from cannabis.
Fake stories published online show Maggie Beer appearing to promote CBD dummies, including a phone interview motored to look as if it was published by The Australian Women’s Weekly.
“I want everyone to be aware there are scams circulating using my image, my name,” Maggie said in an emphatic warning to her fans. “They’ve stolen this. I have nothing to do with any of these purported products that I am supposedly endorsing. It is nothing to do with me.
“Please check your facts and take care not to be taken in by these despicable people.”
Maggie and The Weekly have no association with the product and are urging anyone who has seen the endorsement not to click on it.
“Please don’t click on any links or give any personal information or payment details to these people, they will take your money,” Maggie’s website says in an official statement.
One of the fake stories claimed Maggie used CBD gummies to treat her husband’s type-2 diabetes.
Unfortunately, many of Maggie’s followers have already fallen for the predatory marketing ploy.
“Unfortunately I didn’t check in to this page until after I was scammed out of $338,” one woman commented on a Facebook post warning of the scam.
“I ordered the oil in the hope it would help my arthritis,” the woman wrote.
Another woman wrote, “Got done myself this morning. Thought I was savvy enough not to get caught. Unfortunately I wasn’t.”
One woman reported she had seen the same ad endorsed by Olivia Newton-John.
“Exact same offer and same label on bottles. Scam address in Vegas, no information, no rebate, no invoice or receipt,” Michelle wrote.
If you have been caught by this scam immediately report the fraud to your bank.
You can also report the fake ads to the ACCC via https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
This article originally appeared on Over60.