Bolt imposter attempts to solicit money on Facebook
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sprint legend Usain Bolt last night took to his social media account to caution fans not to fall victim to a ploy using his name and image to solicit money on Facebook.
Posting a screenshot of the “fake page”, the reigning Olympic 100m and 200m champion told fans “Don’t let them trick you!!!!”
The page, which bears the name ‘Bolt Usain’, published a post yesterday seeking to solicit $200,000 for a mother requesting help for her son who suffers from “a disease”.
The post goes as follows: “My dear friends. Everyday I have request from my people of Jamaica to help them for their needs (disease, tuition, employment, house etc…) and I’m trying to help all these people, but now requests are too much and I can’t do without your help… for today I have a request from a mother who asked me about $200,000 for her son to make necessary treatment for the disease of her son. So everyone who can donate with how much you can do it because tomorrow maybe this can happen to us. Its not important how much you give it’s important with how much love you give ! Inbox us for more information. Thank you. Blessings!”
Users of the popular social media platform took to the post in support of Bolt and said Facebook should ban fake pages. They further argued that celebrities like Bolt, “should never have their names be allowed for pages. Unless the words “fan page” are used!!”
The 30-year-old Bolt is busy training for the final few months of his career, which will end with his retirement after the World Championships.
He successfully defended his Olympic 100m, 200m and 4x100m crowns at last year’s Rio de Janeiro Games.