IRISH SINGER Daniel O'Donnell has warned of a new scam in which someone impersonating him is taking money from people under the pretence of battling the spread of coronavirus.
A fake account professing to be the music star has appeared on Instagram in recent days and is targeting O'Donnell's fans asking for donations to help fight the rising threat of Covid-19, RTÉ reports.
The account has been reported to An Garda Síochána, and anyone who may have donated money to the scam is urged to contact police as soon as possible.
It is not known how much money the fake account has generated.
Daniel O'Donnell himself, upon learning of the "horrendous" scam, has urged fans to spread the word that the account is fake and that he does not and will never use social media to communicate with fans.
O'Donnell spoke to RTÉ on Monday, 23 March, and said:
"This is horrendous to see at this difficult time for everyone. I am absolutely appalled that criminals would take advantage of the good people of Ireland and my international fans to set up this fake account to make money.
"I urge my fans to spread the news that this is a fake account and under no circumstances should they donate to these fraudsters."
While these charitable donations have gotten into the wrong hands, the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland has also brought out some of the best in society: the makers of Jameson Irish Whiskey have begun producing large quantities of hand sanitiser for the HSE free of charge, and O'Neills sportswear are now manufacturing hospital scrubs for medics on the front lines.
