A woman from Nebraska was scammed out of thousands of dollars after believing she was talking to Alabama’s Randy Owen for almost a year.
How the Randy Owen Impersonation Scam Began
The 73-year-old victim believed they were communicating with Randy Owen, the longtime lead singer of the country music group Alabama, since September 2025.
The scammer, posing as the famous musician on social media, gradually gained the victim’s trust through frequent messages, expressions of affection, and promises of a future meeting.
Over time, the impersonator claimed to be facing a series of financial and logistical problems that prevented him from meeting the victim in person. The scammer requested money for a variety of supposed emergencies, including travel expenses, security fees, and other fabricated costs, assuring the victim that the funds would be repaid once they were together.
As the months passed, the victim sent multiple payments totaling roughly $39,000. The requests became increasingly urgent, often accompanied by emotional appeals designed to reinforce the victim’s confidence and discourage skepticism.
The deception finally unraveled in June 2026 when family members found out about the communications and determined that the messages were not coming from Randy Owen.
By then, the money had already been transferred through methods that are impossible to reverse or recover.
How to Protect Yourself from Celebrity Impersonation Fraud
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference regarding this incident, and urged the public to remain cautious when interacting with individuals online who claim to be celebrities.
Chief Deputy Houchin reiterated, “Stars will not ask you for money, especially through gift cards. We’re not going to be able to get this money back and it’s sad.”
Genuine public figures do not solicit money from fans or request payments to cover personal expenses.
In fact, many have taken to their own social media accounts alerting their fans to be aware of scammers pretending to be them, and that they would never ask fans for money.
Randy Owens himself warned his own fans in May 2024, over a year before this incident.
He wrote, “Hey everyone, just wanted to remind you that there are many fake accounts out there that try & use my name and/or the Alabama band name to try and get you to do private direct messages or to send money, etc. You will not be sent requests like that from this OFFICIAL Randy Owen Facebook page. Please just be aware and mindful of all of these scams & scammers that are out there.”
There have been plenty of people who have been scammed into thinking they were corresponding with Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Cody Johnson, and Willie Nelson, and despite artists’ warnings, these things continue to happen.
Watch the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office press conference about the situation below.
