Fake Bruce Springsteen, claiming to have problems with a "gold reserve", would have made scams over $ 10B for a woman

If "Bruce Springsteen" comes to ask you for help to ship his Dubai gold reserve, you'd better be born.

A woman who spoke to CBS Chicago this week said she lost more than $ 10,000 after falling victim to a brilliant disguise that embodies the famous online singer. And it's not the only one – the Federal Trade Commission claims that scams similar to those of impostors resulted in a total loss of $ 328 million in 2017.

"I sent him iTunes [gift cards] up to maybe four, five, six hundred dollars, little by little each week, "said the woman, identified only as" Mary, "at the station.

She says the trick began after commenting on a Bruce Springsteen Facebook page and that someone responded by claiming to be the real Bruce. The pair exchanged messages and pictures for about a year and the tone eventually became pleasant, the woman said.

Then, the fake Bruce told the woman that he was divorcing and that his wife was holding his bank accounts hostage. In short: he needed money.

Mary says that in addition to sending iTunes gift cards requested by the impostor, she also sent $ 11,500 through MoneyGram, Western Union and a bank check to a person from Dubai. The fake Bruce would have pleaded in a text message that his gold store was stuck in the Middle East city and he needed help to bring her back to the streets of Philadelphia.

"My mind was just like that, so maybe I had a brainwash or something that I said," Okay, how much money? Said the woman at CBS Chicago. "I was vulnerable at the time, but you know it hurts, it hurts and you feel so stupid."

The real Bruce would be worth about $ 500 million, do not divorce, and does not seem to have a problem with a gold reserve – if he even has one.

The station also spoke with a 78-year-old woman, Ardiss Robbins, who said she lost about $ 10,000 to someone who plays country singer Kenny Chesney. This money, allegedly the police, has been found in China.

The FTC said last year's fraud scams were the biggest source of fraud in America because they had received 350,000 reports about them.

"Nearly one in five who reported an impostor scam lost money – a whopping $ 328 million loss to someone claiming to be a loved one in trouble , an official, technical support or someone else wants your money, "warned Monica Vaca of the FTC's Response and Consumer Operations Division.