All Black Jordie Barrett appears to have been impersonated on a UK dating profile.
A screenshot of a fake Bumble profile was shared to the Facebook group Kiwis in London yesterday, with photos of the Hurricanes player under the name Andrew.
“Andrew” is supposedly 35 - Barrett is 26 - and works in finance, according to the profile.
Facebook user Daniela Dowall had spotted the profile on the Bumble app and shared it to the group, writing, “Either Jordie Barrett is in town and looking for some side action under the pseudonym of Andrew ... or Bumble’s verification process requires reviewing.”
Bumble users get a blue verification tick on their profile once their identity is confirmed.
The “About me” section on the profile read, “From NZ. Currently in the UK doing some work, so keen enjoy myself whilst im here [sic]. Keen rugby player and lover of sport. Love a few drinks and going out for meals etc. I cook a hell of a bbq and a roast.”
“Andrew” is also 6 foot 4, works out “sometimes”, doesn’t smoke, and is a Taurus.
The photos of the rugby player appear to have been taken from his own Instagram page.
Barrett himself is in a long-term relationship with Taranaki farm manager Alice Marshall. He’s recently been in Australia for the Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinal, during which the Hurricanes lost to the Brumbies.
A representative for the Hurricanes team said Barrett had been made aware of the post, however, he has not responded to it publicly.
A spokesperson for Bumble confirmed to the Herald that the person behind the fake profile had been taken down.
“As a platform that’s committed to helping people create safe and healthy relationships, fake profiles go against Bumble’s values. Anyone found to have uploaded a fake profile or attempted to scam a Bumble member will be banned from our community. We can confirm that the person has been removed from the app,” they said in a statement.
They also shared some advice on how to protect yourself from “romance scams” on dating apps.
“Never share sensitive personal information, such as your home address, work address, email address, or account passwords, with someone you just met on Bumble.”
They added that you should never share financial information with a new “match”, and to be aware that scammers may use personal information from social media profiles to target people.
“Always proceed with caution when making new connections, and never hesitate to block and report someone if you suspect they’re trying to scam you or if they make you uncomfortable in any way.
Barrett is the latest in a string of public figures to be targeted in recent scam attempts.
Earlier this week, Coast radio host Toni Street warned fans once again not to fall for a gummy weight loss ad that is being promoted using images of her.
Taking to her Instagram account, the NZME broadcaster shared two images of sponsored advertisements she has seen on the social media platform warning fans they are fake.
“Please do not give these people your money,” she said adding, “I would never promote weight loss gummies.”
This is not the first time Street’s image has been used by scammers without her permission. She was also targeted in April and spoke to the Herald, saying she was outraged by the act.
“It’s outrageous,” the star who champions body positivity and authentic social media content said.
“They’ve stolen, uplifted images, video that I’ve done over many, many years and they’ve doctored my voice into a very unusual English accent that sounds nothing like my own voice and they’ve obviously enhanced a couple of photos to make me look a lot bigger than what I am to show that I’ve lost weight.
“It’s absolutely nothing to do with me.”
