The catfishing scandal is plaguing the golf community. After Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and many LPGA Pros were subjected to identity theft on social media, Amanda Balionis became the latest victim of this distressing ordeal. She shared an urgent message on Instagram, warning followers about the escalating catfishing crisis.

“Hey guys, I am getting a disturbing amount of messages on here claiming to be talking to me on other platforms, and this is my only account,” she said in a video message on Instagram.

Balionis made her stance crystal clear: Instagram is only where she interacts with fans. No TikTok. No Facebook. She would never send messages on WhatsApp or send emails. In the last few months, scammers, posing as Balionis, asked her followers to send money. But that confusion also arose because of a curious reason.

The noted golf broadcaster occasionally raises funds for her charity, Puppies & Golf. Turns out, scammers took advantage of that and asked for money from his followers, often on DMs. Balionis had to clear the air.

“If you’re not getting a message from me on this platform, it is not me messaging you… I would never ask you for money,” she said, adding that any donation requests would only come “publicly” through her verified account, never “privately.”

This isn’t Amanda Balionis’s first warning. Back in July 2025, she issued a similar alert during her break from PGA Tour coverage.

“Getting a weird amount of messages asking if I have other accounts…nope. This is the only one. Please don’t get scammed by dummies!” Amanda Balionis wrote on Instagram. And she wasn’t the only one.

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac faced the same nightmare that month when scammers exploited her dog Niko’s death, creating fake donation accounts. The problem has only intensified since then, and the scam isn’t new in the LPGA.

Back in December 2024, England’s Charley Hull warned fans after “an incident” at a tournament.

“I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but after an incident at a tournament recently, I feel the need to speak out again,” Hull wrote on Instagram. “I will never ask for money or gift cards in exchange for meet and greets or fan club membership. Please don’t fall for the scammers out there!!”

This wasn’t even Hull’s first warning. She’d issued a similar warning back in October 2023 when fake TikTok accounts popped up. And what Nelly Korda had to deal with was just as scary.

A 72-year-old man from South Carolina lost more than $15,000 to someone who pretended to be Korda. He thought they were getting married, and he was prepared to sell his house before his family stopped him.

Rose Zhang also fell victim to identity theft when, after sending $70,000 to a scammer, another man from Pennsylvania drove four hours to a tournament, hoping to have a VIP dinner with the LPGA winner. Security experts say that victims sometimes show up at tournaments, either hoping to meet someone romantically or seeking a refund, which puts athletes in real danger.

And surprisingly, the list keeps growing.

Top Stories

Dustin Johnson Sends Subtle Warning to Scottie Scheffler and Co. After Re-Signing With LIV Golf

Greg Norman Puts Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods on Blast for Never Confronting Him Directly

Lydia Ko Silently Drops LIV Golf Collaboration After Korean Star Defected From PGA Tour

Patrick Reed Makes Feelings Clear on Quitting LIV Golf for the ‘Best’ PGA Tour

Nelly Korda Becomes a No Show as Tiger Woods’ WTGL Signs Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson & More

Broader LPGA Tour pro scam warnings

In 2025, Michelle Wie West also sounded the alarm when people on social media pretended to be her. Wie West told her followers that she only has one official account and urged them to report any profiles that message them privately. Her advice showed that even top-level champions are not safe from scams.

Jennifer Kupcho, who won the Chevron Championship in 2022, used her Instagram story to warn her 35,000 followers about fake profiles that were pretending to be her. She stressed that she would never start private conversations or ask fans for anything, and she told anyone who got a message from one of those accounts to ignore it and report it.

Golfers have publicly told their fans to be careful about fake messages that ask for money or personal contact. These warnings show that impersonation scams are a long-term and widespread problem in the golf community.

So be careful of these scams!