Cryptocurrency fraudsters have resorted to using the identity of one of the wealthiest women in Australia, Gina Rinehart, who is the owner of Hancock Prospecting, to advertise their schemes.
The scammers are claiming that Rinehart has invested in a particular cryptocurrency startup and that users can become wealthy in just seven days by investing in it.
However, the entrepreneur has denied any involvement in such schemes and has warned against trusting scammers who use her name to promote illegal projects.
This is not the first time Rinehart’s name has been used in this manner, as back in 2015, unknown individuals posed as a charity organization that was allegedly supported by her and was providing humanitarian aid to people.
Unfortunately, Rinehart is not the only celebrity in Australia whose reputation has been exploited by crypto scammers.
Last year, Andrew Forrest, another Australian billionaire who works in the mining industry, accused Facebook of publishing fraudulent clickbait ads for cryptocurrency investments using his photos. However, Facebook denied Forrest’s claims.
Regrettably, the Australian government is not taking any immediate steps to regulate cryptocurrencies and has decided to delay the matter until 2025 due to a decrease in local investors’ interest in digital assets.