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 gummies, including a phony interview doctored to look like it has been published by The Australian Women’s Weekly.
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“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’s official Facebook page shared a callout to her followers to be wary of the scam.
(Facebook /@OfficialMaggieBeer)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 circulated by the scammers claims Maggie used CBD gummies to treat her husband’s type-2 diabetes.
Much to Maggie’s distress, many of her followers have already been taken in by 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.
A screenshot of the landing page of the advertisement’s link is below – note this is fake news and is not endorsed by Maggie and her website.
A screenshot from the fake news article – be wary of this and be conscious that this is not endorsed by Maggie.
The official Maggie Beer Facebook page has to blue ticket verification, which is one of the tools people can use to ensure the brand or product they are engaging with is authentic.
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
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