Ore Oduba, who won Strictly Come Dancing, says he was the victim of a complex web fraud that made him feel “ashamed and embarrassed.” Someone who said they were American podcaster Mel Robbins got the TV host to write them an email. Robbins is someone Oduba genuinely looks up to.
A Devastating Deception
Ore Oduba, who won the 14th season of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, talked about how sad it was for him in a straight-up Instagram video. He said that he got an email that looked like it was from the people who make Mel Robbins’ podcast, requesting him to appear on the show. Oduba was quite upset because he thought his career was about to take a significant turn. He has declared in public that Robbins’ book and podcast altered his life. He even cried on the train because he feared it was going to happen.
The Red Flags Ignored
Oduba added that even though he has made a documentary series about scams before, he was weak because he admired Mel Robbins and was having a hard time. He claimed he felt “desperate” to connect with his hero, especially after his sister died, which was a very traumatic time for him. The scammer’s messages were incredibly convincing, even imitating Robbins’ manner. Oduba did find a spelling issue in the Gmail address, which made him contact Robbins’ genuine PR personnel, who validated what he thought.
Key Takeaways
Ore Oduba was targeted by an online scammer who pretended to be Mel Robbins.
He felt “ashamed and embarrassed” for falling for the scam.
His frailty and “desperation” to get close to his idol were two things that played a role.
There was an error in the email address that led to the fake being uncovered.
Oduba encourages folks to be careful online and “listen to their gut.”
A Warning to others
Oduba, who has hosted shows exposing scams, was shocked to learn that he had been a victim of one himself. This shows how easy it is for anyone to be a victim, especially with AI. He remarked that the scam was quite convincing and played on his emotions. After Oduba narrated his experience, the real Mel Robbins got in touch with him. This is a good thing that came out of a bad scenario. Oduba wants others to know how frequent and smart online scams are by telling his tale.
Sources
- Tearful Strictly Come Dancing star issues warning after falling victim to scam, OK! Magazine.
- Strictly Come Dancing winner breaks down in tears after being duped by online scam, AOL.com.
- Strictly Come Dancing winner ‘was desperate’ as he fell victim to heartbreaking scam after sister’s death –
Manchester Evening News, Manchester Evening News.