Beloved singer/songwriter and current Eagles rocker Vince Gill isn’t exactly known for stirring controversy. He’s a fairly private person, and rarely has any drama involving the “When I Call Your Name” hitmaker made it to the news. Unfortunately, someone using his name once decided to take matters into their own hands.
Gill’s identity was once used in a scam that disturbed fans and financially devastated a woman in Massachusetts. The alleged scam was discussed on a recent episode of Scammer Stories in which the woman in question’s daughter “Jackie” told the hosts about how her mother fell for an online scam run by someone impersonating Vince Gill.
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The Vince Gill Scam That Almost Tore A Family Apart
According to Jackie, her mother was living on her own when the scam occurred. She noticed that her mother was becoming somewhat paranoid and withdrawn, and Jackie looked at her mother’s phone for clues. There, she found Google chats between her mother and someone pretending to be the very much married Vince Gill.
Jackie theorized that the scam began on social media, where the impersonator likely reached out to her mother and continued the “relationship” through Google chats.
“She was following the real Vince Gill,” Jackie said. “I’m sure it’s a managed account, not him. She commented ‘Oh we love you in Boston! We hope you come to Boston.’ After looking at that, we can see that other people had liked it, and then we started looking at people that were following my mother. They were fake Vince Gill accounts. Things like ‘official’ but the ‘L’ was a one instead of the ‘L.’”
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One of her mother’s friends noted that Jackie’s mother had asked her for money for “investments” involving Vince Gill. Later, it was revealed that the scammer had told the mother that his wife (the lovely Amy Grant) was planning on divorcing him after a sexual assault allegation (blatantly false). The made-up victim wanted $350,000 in hush money, and “Vince” needed help from Jackie’s mother to keep his career and life from falling apart.
Jackie and her family, naturally, had to stage an intervention. But by that point, the scammer had stolen virtually all of her mother’s money. It wasn’t made clear if she gave the scammer $350,000, but Jackie did note that three of her mother’s accounts (including a retirement account) were emptied.
The whole situation is a sad story to hear, and it’s far from uncommon. Keep in mind, readers: Famous musicians probably won’t go to you for financial help. If anything, they’ll just go on another farewell tour.
Photo by Jason Kempin
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