An exasperated David Koch is determined to pursue legal recourse in order to halt the unauthorized usage of his name and likeness by online fraudsters.
In a surge of online fraudulent activities, the former host of Sunrise has become the unsuspecting face of numerous scams. Deceptively doctored images of Koch have been increasingly utilized by these hoaxers to engage potential victims.
Koch emphasized the urgent need to introduce accountability in social media platforms for the content presented on them. He recounted, “This unacceptable situation has been persisting for years, but recently, the extent of these impersonations have escalated beyond control.”
He confirmed his contact with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in a bid to initiate some action against these alarming schemes.
Apart from boycotting the fraudulent misuse of his persona, Koch divulged his contemplation of defamation lawsuits against the said social media platforms. He reasoned that the recurrent fraudulent schemes featuring him has significantly tarnished his reputation.
In a common gimmick employed by these hoaxers, sensationalized images of Koch are posted on social media platforms. These include a recent fabricated photo depicting Koch as battered and bruised, inciting users out of curiosity or concern to click on them.
Once the manipulated images have been clicked on, innocent bystanders are persuaded into investing their money into various dubious concerns, such as ambiguous cryptocurrencies.
Amid the turmoil, Koch voiced his devastation over the recent plight of a 72-year old woman, who was defrauded of $10,000. An unassuming reader of the Holy Bible, the woman fell prey to yet another scam appearing as an advert within her Bible-reading app.
Despite issuing numerous cautionary statements to his followers regarding the fraudsters exploiting his image, Koch laments over the incessant nature of the issue.
“I bring these scams to the attention of all respective platforms, but their repeated resurgence has become overwhelming,” shared an exasperated Koch.
Koch joined broadcaster Ben Fordham to express their mutual discontentment over the exemption of social media platforms from the accountability standards followed by traditional media houses.
Fordham criticized the lackadaisical regulation of these platforms, noting that while certain content like vaccine injury stories are hastily pulled down, these scams continue to stand unhindered.
According to Fordham, modern regulation seemingly falls short in effectively monitoring and curtailing these cyber scams.
