Romance Scammers Use Fitness Trainer’s Image for Catfishing
Romance scammers are reportedly exploiting the image of a fitness trainer from California to create convincing fake profiles that deceive unsuspecting women worldwide into giving away their money.
Scott Cole, a 63-year-old tai chi and fitness trainer based in Palm Springs, has found his likeness misused on fake accounts, including one belonging to a project director from Florida, and others linked to a North Carolina college student and an Irish marine engineer. This alarming issue has persisted for years, as noted by a report.
“My job has always been about supporting people, whether it’s helping them stay fit or assisting seniors in their daily activities,” Cole expressed. “Now, my likeness is being used for some truly awful purposes.”
Cole has been a target of this fraudulent activity on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn for over a decade. He is one among countless victims who have suffered at the hands of romance scammers in the U.S.
According to reports, the FBI indicated that victims lost upwards of $50 billion to similar scams between 2020 and 2024. “People are being misled and asked for money using my image,” Cole lamented. “It’s incredibly unsettling, tragic, and frankly, disgusting.”
Some of these fake profiles even use his real name, which complicates matters further. “Sometimes, when I search for myself online, I find these fraudulent accounts. It’s infuriating—like a knot in my stomach at night, wondering why this is happening,” he shared.
A close call involved a German woman who nearly fell for a scam initiated by a phony account using Cole’s photo. After an exchange of messages on International Women’s Day, she began a relationship online. Initially skeptical, she later found herself increasingly convinced of the scam when the fake “Ottmar” requested financial assistance for vehicle repairs.
Fortunately, she avoided financial loss after conducting her research, which led her to Cole’s real identity. “Disappointment set in when I realized I’d been deceived. I thought about reaching out to Scott immediately,” she reflected.
Cole has been contacted by many victims over the past decade. While he feels a natural urge to help, the sheer number of victims has overwhelmed him. “I get messages from hundreds of women,” he conveyed. Some reach out to inform him about the misuse of his likeness, while others are so deeply involved with the scammers that they seek to uncover their true identities.
Cole has reported multiple impersonating accounts to various platforms and even filed complaints with the FBI, but without significant follow-up. The FBI claims it takes such reports seriously, but the volume of complaints can hinder timely responses.
Reflecting on the situation, Cole expressed frustration about the ongoing problems with fraud involving images. “I hope technology advances to help prevent these sorts of misuse in the future,” he said.
In response to concerns, Meta stated it employs automated systems to detect and remove malicious accounts, claiming that over 99% of such accounts are identified before users file a report. LinkedIn noted that it offers warnings during conversations that have moved to other platforms and provides verification features to enhance user safety. TikTok also highlighted its proactive removal of videos that violate its policies before users need to report them.
