Dame Helen Mirren has urged fans to look out for scammers pretending to be her while fronting a fake charity.
The actress, 79, revealed the swindlers were duping people out of money by using her name while sending out emails.
The MobLand star - who was previously the victim of a “mortifying” scam herself - sent fans a desperate warning about the fraud on Instagram on Tuesday.
“SCAM ALERT! Person(s) unknown have used my name to front a false charity, which is sending out messages from me, offering a large sum of money and asking you to respond to helenmirrencharity@gmail.com,” she wrote.
“THIS IS NOT ME and it is not my email address, please beware and do not respond, this is a scam. The original message came from drogogo91@gmail.com and referred to a genuine charity Look For The Stars to claim authenticity.”
The Queen actress concluded: “Please keep alert - Many thanks Helen.”
Mirren previously revealed she was left “humiliated” after being scammed out of money, believing she was sending money in return for a mystery prize.
She made the revelation in 2019 while promoting her film, The Good Liar, in which she played a rich widow targeted by a conman, played by Ian McKellen.
“I was scammed. I was so embarrassed about it, and that’s the terrible thing, isn’t it, when you’re scammed, you’re so mortified that you really don’t tell anyone because it’s so embarrassing and humiliating,” she said on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
The actress recalled getting a phone call while she was in the US telling her she had won a prize.
“They did it brilliantly, and I was suspicious. They said, ‘I’ve got her I’ve got her,’ when I picked up the phone, they said, ‘I’ve got her, I’ve got her, we’re so excited to tell you you’ve won this prize!’ she explained.
“I said, ‘Have I, how?’ The only caveat – why didn’t I realise? – was, in order to get the prize, I had to send them money.
“And in return they would send – and they did, it wasn’t like I didn’t get anything – they sent these things, weird things like a 3D camera, I remember and a fake diamond tennis bracelet, just weird things.”
The acting legend - who is set to star in the upcoming Thursday Murder Club film - realised it was a con when she later offered to go and meet them in the US.
“But I was suspicious, and I said, ‘Where are you phoning from, the company, where is it based?’” she recounted.
“’We’re based in New Orleans.’ I said, ‘Oh what address?’ And they gave me an address, and I said, ‘Oh that’s interesting, because – and it was true – I happen to be coming to New Orleans next week, so I’ll pop in and see you.’
“And they sort of went all a bit pear-shaped when I said that. I was scammed, definitely.”
