A fake Prince Albert has been conning the elite in Monaco,media reports say
Scammers using phone messaging apps have been trying to convince targets they need ransom money to release a man kidnapped by an Islamist group
Crooks are impersonating top personalities in Monaco, even Prince Albert II, to scam money from high-flying victims, reports said on Saturday in the Mediterranean principality.
A Prince Albert lookalike had used a video contact supposedly from the ruler’s own office to target the elite, the Monaco-Matin newspaper said.
The government of the millionaires’ playground issued a statement confirming such stings but without naming the prince, who boasts a fortune estimated at some €2 billion (US$2.4 billion).
“For several weeks, individuals who are part of organised groups, have been stealing the identities of high-ranking personalities in the principality and trying to establish personal contact with them … notably through electronic messages, SMS or videoconferencing via a WhatsApp type of application,” the statement said.
It described the targets are “leaders of society or people with responsibility”.