IMPERSONATOR OF NOLLYWOOD STAR JIM IYKE CAUGHT IN ONITSHA

A Nigerian bank in Onitsha the FCMB has caught an impostor (names with held) collecting money from people in the name of Nollywood star Jim Iyke's charity. The FCMB  on Wednesday confirmed in a series of tweets to Jim Iyke and his agents Greology Inc that they tracked down the impostor and handed him over to the police in Onitsha. The bank revealed that the suspect had "confessed to getting money from unsuspecting people via the scam." 

This brings to a head, the activities of a ring of internet fraudsters also known in Nigeria as "Yahoo-Yahoo Boys" who have recently targeted the actor by setting up a fake Instagram account with the aim of scamming and extorting money from unsuspecting fans. 

But as Jim Iyke's publicist, I can categorically state that he has no Instagram account and the account bearing his name is a fraud even though it is called "Jim Iyke Official".

This is not the first time that the actor, entrepreneur, model and philanthropist has been targeted by impostors operating via social media. It would be recalled that in 2012 Iyke exposed a fake Facebook account claiming to be his but when he raised the alarm his critics moaned that he was seeking publicity until other celebrities including P-Square also became victims and also alerted the public and their fans to beware. Some suspects were later traced to a courier depot in Asaba where they had picked up donations sent from abroad by Iyke's fans.

. 

This time, an impostor claiming to be Jim Iyke has set up an account on Instagram after cloning his Twitter account. Pictures and other authentic media are systematically and consistently lifted from the star's official Twitter page and transplanted onto the fraudulent so-called Jim Iyke Official Instagram account (Statigram) to make it appear real. The account already has nearly 3000 followers. 

The fraudster(s) attempted to scam a female fan of £5000 claiming to be Jim Iyke who needed the money because he was stranded in a foreign country. But they ran out of luck when the targeted fan confided in someone who personally knew Iyke and raised the alarm.

It is not immediately clear if the person(s) behind the scam are the same as those behind the case on Facebook however I can personally assure Jim's fans that by the grace of God their idol is in huge demand and is working on various lucrative projects at home and abroad and therefore he is very solvent and would never need to beg his fans for donations in order to go about his business which takes him across the world on a regular basis.

The public in general will be informed through concerted media campaigns if and when he wants to raise funds for charity.