Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock is warning fans about the dangers of social media scams, expressing deep concern over fake accounts impersonating her and exploiting innocent people.

In a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, February 3, Bullock, 60, made it clear that she does not use social media and urged fans to stay vigilant.

“My family’s safety, as well as the innocent people being taken advantage of, is my deep concern, and there will be a time when I will comment more, but for now our focus is helping law enforcement handle this matter,” Bullock stated.

“Please be aware that I do not participate in any form of social media. Any accounts pretending to be me or anyone associated with me are fake accounts and have been created for financial gain or to exploit people around me.”

 

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Her statement comes after her younger sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, 54, took to Facebook on Sunday, February 2, to call out scammers creating fake profiles pretending to be her and Sandra. She revealed that men believing they were in relationships with her sister had been tricked into sending thousands of dollars to fraudulent accounts.

“I spend multiple times a day reporting fakes, dealing with weird & scary emails to my BUSINESS and HOME from men who believe that, through one of these many fake ‘me’s,’ they have a relationship with my sister through private messages and off-app sites and have been giving (sometimes) THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to an incredibly famous and successful grown-assed woman,” Gesine wrote.

She shared screenshots of fake accounts and reported them to both Facebook and Meta, but to her frustration, many remained active. “Surprise! They are all still up!” she said, highlighting concerns about Facebook’s enforcement of scam policies.

“If you see a fake account, are friended or messaged by one, report and block,” she urged. “The only reason I stay on FB is to monitor this for my own knowledge so I am aware of the danger coming at me (and yes, because of these scams, I’ve had to involve local law enforcement and they’ve been outstanding).”

Meta has since responded, stating that impersonation violates their policies and that they are actively removing fraudulent content. “People who impersonate others on Facebook and Instagram violate our policies, and we remove this content when it’s found — like we are doing in this case,” a Meta spokesperson told PEOPLE on Tuesday, February 4.

The dangers of celebrity scams have been highlighted in several high-profile cases, including one where a French woman, identified only as Anne, was swindled out of over $800,000 by scammers posing as Brad Pitt. She was convinced she was dating the Hollywood star and sent large sums of money to help with supposed medical bills.

Bullock and her sister’s warnings serve as a stark reminder to be cautious online, verify identities, and avoid engaging with suspicious accounts that claim to represent public figures.