Lindsey Vonn warns fans about scammers impersonating her online

SALT LAKE CITY — Olympic ski legend Lindsey Vonn is warning fans that scammers are pretending to be her online.

In a post on Instagram, Vonn said fake accounts are impersonating her, members of her family and people who work with her.

Some of those accounts, she said, are asking fans for money or personal information.

Vonn told followers that if someone claiming to be her asks for money, donations or personal information, it is not her.

The warning echoes a growing scam trend KSL Investigators reported on earlier this year.

Con artists have increasingly used fake social media accounts, artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to impersonate well-known athletes and celebrities.

The technology can create convincing fake images, videos and even voices, making it harder for people to tell whether the person contacting them is real.

Olympians have been among the targets.

In our earlier Get Gephardt investigation, we found scammers using the identities of athletes to build trust with fans before asking for money or personal information.

Vonn's warning is the latest reminder that even familiar faces online may not be who they appear to be.

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