Women’s golf pros have become one of the favorite targets for a scam that’s hit athletes across sports: someone lifts a player’s name and photos, sets up a fake profile, and starts messaging her fans. The pitch usually comes wrapped in a meet-and-greet offer, one that costs money or gift cards up front and never actually happens. LPGA Tour pro Charley Hull has addressed this issue multiple times over the past two years, but her latest statements add a detail that raises a new red flag. Impersonators now claim to be secretly dating Charley Hull.
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The Englishwoman has had to address a statement on her Instagram stories as scammers resort to tactics.
“Important, please read and share. There are people creating fake social media accounts, pretending to be me, messaging people, asking for money, and even telling that they are secretly dating me. This is a scam. I do not have TikTok, Telegram, or WhatsApp. If you are speaking to somebody on TikTok, Telegram, WhatsApp, or any other account claiming to be me, it is not me. Please stay safe and don’t let these disgusting scammers fool you.”
Charley Hull further stated that she will never privately message fans asking for money, gift cards, or even cryptocurrency. As for the dating rumors, she revealed she has had a boyfriend of over three years, closing the door on any impersonator claiming otherwise.
She closed her statement by urging fans to block and report suspicious accounts immediately rather than engaging in conversations with them.
That being said, this is not a lone incident. Just days earlier, Charley Hull posted a warning about AI-generated content circulating online and impersonating her. As reported by Golfweek, she said, “AI-generated stuff is going around pretending to be me, so don’t be fooled,” before affirming she isn’t on TikTok, “So if you’re following me there, you’re definitely not.”
No investigation or police involvement has come to light in this case so far.
Other LPGA stars have raised the same concern
Besides Charley Hull, Nellie Korda, for one, has warned of a similar instance. She posted her own alert on an Instagram story on January 11, 2025, telling fans she had “unfortunately seen a huge rise in fake accounts posing as me.” She has since told The Athletic she deals with roughly 20 fake accounts daily, some fabricating stories about fundraising for her late dog to extract money from sympathetic fans.
Moreover, golf content creator Paige Spiranac has dealt with the problem even longer. She once identified at least 70 fake accounts impersonating her on a single platform. Since then, she has repeatedly directed fans to her verified channels and warned that anyone messaging from elsewhere is not her.
Furthermore, Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, and Jennifer Kupcho have each issued similar alerts, ranging from fake Facebook pages with thousands of followers to impersonators posing as family members or managers to gain trust. Kang’s fake Facebook page alone had accumulated 17,000 followers before she flagged it.
Fans crave a personal connection with the athletes they admire, and that’s exactly the opening these scammers exploit. Hull’s guidance hasn’t changed. Look closely at the account. Keep your wallet closed. Flag anything that feels suspicious right away.