Spice Girl Mel B is left feeling ‘violated’ as pop icon calls in the police after WhatsApp ‘hack’ sees cryptocurrency scammers target her friends and family and request fake charity donations
- Mel B had to call police when her friends and family were sent donation requests
- The hackers sent Whatsapp messages pretending to be her, asking for money
- A source said money was asked for in cryptocurrency which raised suspicions
- Fraudsters said it was a charity project to ‘help African children dying of thirst’
- It comes after the pop star cryptically tweeted sacked Tory minister Conor Burns
Mel B had to call in police when Whatsapp hackers who sent her family and celebrity friends fake cryptocurrency donation requests left her feeling ‘violated’.
Fraudsters pretending to be the former Spice Girl sent messages asking for donations to a charity project to ‘help African children dying of thirst’.
The 47-year-old received messages from friends regarding the ‘charity’ project she was involved in, alerting her to the hacking.
Those who received the Whatsapp messages were asked to donate in cryptocurrency and the scammers even said Bitcoin could be bought for a cheaper prince as a reward for contributing.
Mel B had to call in police when a Whatsapp hack that sent her family and celebrity friends cryptocurrency donation requests left her feeling ‘violated’
Fraudsters pretending to be the former Spice Girl sent messages asking for donations to a charity project to ‘help African children dying of thirst’
A source close to Mel B told the Sunday People that the star knew nothing of the scam and felt ‘violated and angry’ that someone would go to those lengths and claim it was in the name of charity, as she is known for her charitable ventures.
The messages were sent from a contact called Scary Spice MelB and included kisses and emojis to attempt to trick people into believing it was really her.
The hackers asked people to send money via Binance – a digital currency exchanging site which was subject to a hacking scandal last week that put £500million of investors’ money at risk.
The source added that the cryptocurrency angle raised suspicions as ‘Mel isn’t involved in any of that. It’s not her scene,’ adding that the charity part however did make the scam plausible.
MailOnline have approached Mel B for comment.
The 47-year-old received messages from friends regarding the ‘charity’ project she was involved in, alerting her to the hacking
Those who received the Whatsapp messages were asked to donate in cryptocurrency and the scammers even said Bitcoin could be bought for a cheaper prince as a reward for contributing
It comes as the pop icon sparked a wave of speculation after cryptically tweeting a sacked Tory trade minister earlier this week.
On Thursday Mel B took aim at sacked trade minister Conor Burns in a cryptic tweet about a comment in a lift as it emerged the MP was being investigated for alleged ‘serious misconduct’.
Last night it was also claimed that a witness had complained Mr Burns had been ‘lecherous to a younger male in the bar at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham‘.
The Spice Girl, 47, tweeted: ‘Really?? Your (sic) shocked about this complaint??? Let me remind you what you said me in lift…..’
She had attended the Conservative conference to campaign and call for further support for domestic abuse victims.
In response to a series of tweets the sacked Trade Minister wrote after his dismissal, she wrote: ‘Really?? Your shocked about this complaint??? Let me remind you what you said me in lift…..’
It is alleged that the complaint about Conor Burns which led to his dismissal and that is being investigated was a separate incident which also took place at a bar during the Tory conference
Last night it was not clear what Mel B was referring to in her tweet, but Mr Burns had earlier denied any suggestion of wrongdoing.
MailOnline contacted all parties involved for comment.
A source told the Mirror: ‘Mel has never been scared to speak the truth to power so it is no surprise that she’s spoken up. If this Tory MP has said something particularly offensive in her company then she’ll say so and no doubt told him when it happened.
‘Mel is such a strong woman. It could be yet another really embarrassing episode for the Tories. You don’t p**s off a Spice Girl!’
It is alleged that the complaint about Conor Burns which led to his dismissal and that is being investigated was a separate incident which also took place at a bar during the Tory conference.
Advertisement