Scammers target ex-Miss Universe McLean

Namibia’s former Miss Universe, Michelle McLean, has warned the public about a social media scam using her photo and a fake story to deceive people.She specifically informed the media to help spread her warning locally.Last week, she was alerted to the scam, which involves a fake interview with her to convince unsuspecting individuals to invest in a “diamond scheme.”McLean revealed that friends informed her last Monday about a cloned website designed to look like a News24 page, making it appear as if she was endorsing the scheme.The scam uses her photo alongside an emotional story written in Afrikaans about a struggling family who supposedly invested in the scheme and quickly made a fortune.According to the story, the family wrote to McLean, who allegedly told them about the fake investment scheme. The fictional account claims their N$4,500 investment grew to N$50,000 in just four weeks.In an interview with Media24 published over the weekend, McLean described the fake story as particularly outrageous because she is an ambassador for natural Namibian diamonds. McLean served as the official ambassador for the Namibian Diamond Board in 2009.“I am a Namibian natural diamond ambassador and proud of the work the diamond industry does to contribute to economic and social progress. Like the product (diamond) itself, Namibia’s natural diamond industry represents integrity and transparency, and that’s who I am as Michelle McLean.”She expressed concern that people might be misled into believing the scheme is legitimate because of her public profile, particularly given the cloned website’s resemblance to the News24 platform.She is also troubled by the apparent targeting of the Afrikaans-speaking community.“My name, image, and good reputation have been fraudulently used without my permission to promote an alleged investment scheme called ‘Diamond Profit.’“I do not endorse this scheme and have not authorized it to use anything associated with me,” she stated.Adriaan Basson, News24’s editor-in-chief, said the publication is concerned about scammers exploiting the names of public figures to deceive and defraud people.“After Michelle brought this to our attention, we immediately instructed our lawyers to shut down the fake website and track down those responsible.“This is not the first scam, and it won’t be the last by unscrupulous individuals misusing our name and that of businesspeople or celebrities to make money,” he said.– augetto@nmh-hub.com.na

Scammers target ex-Miss Universe McLean

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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Scammers target ex-Miss Universe McLean

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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