Social Media Scam Strikes Again, Hitting Soap Vet Rick Hearst

It seems like soap stars are falling victim left and right as scammers impersonate them on social media.

Rick Hearst, who has appeared on every soap that is currently still on the air, is just the latest victim in the social media plague that is targeting fans and their pocketbooks.

The actor tweeted a message to make sure that fans who were trying to reach him would know that the latest imposter was definitely not him… and he did so in an amusing way.

“So, apparently someone has made a duplicate Instagram account of me. If you’re getting messages or think you’re conversing with me it’s probably not. Guess I hit the big time now. #FakeRickHearst”

The actor, who played Ric on General Hospital, Whip on The Bold and the Beautiful, Matt on The Young and the Restless, and Scotty on Days of Our Lives, is simply the latest victim but will surely not be the final one.

Just last week, B&B’s John McCook announced that someone had also created a fake Instagram posing him. Others who have had to deal with this form of social media scam include Y&R stars Daniel Goddard (Cane) and Kristoff St. John (Neil).

Still, other actors who have been hacked or impersonated include Ryan Paevey (ex-Ryan, GH), Doug Davidson (Paul, Y&R), and Stephen Nichols (ex-Steve, DAYS).

While soap fans are certainly becoming savvier after so many actors have shared their stories, it’s still always wise to be wary of any account claiming to belong to an actor if it’s not verified or has only a couple of hundred followers.

Also, if they ever ask for money: Forget it. That’s certainly a very clear sign that you should avoid that account. While some actors sell products, they will not come right out and ask you to send them money.