The Nashville FBI is warning music fans that criminals are posing as musicians and targeting industry professionals to steal $12 million in a romance scam.
The FBI’s Nashville Division just issued a serious warning that every music fan needs to hear right now.
More than 527 people have been caught in romance scams involving criminals posing as musicians, losing $12.2 million, and that’s just the beginning of what’s happening in the industry.
The federal government finally took action after total losses from all music-related fraud schemes between January 2024 and September 2025 reached $13.4 million.
Scammers are running an entire operation targeting anyone associated with the music, from the artists themselves to people just trying to support them.
Music industry professionals including producers, managers and record label owners lost $777,063 due to fake record deals and promotional offers that were never materialized.
Meanwhile, 64 separate complaints were received about data leaks and extortion attempts, with criminals threatening to leak unreleased music or personal information unless victims paid.
Another 55 cases involved unauthorized access to social media accounts and the theft of unreleased tracks, while a further 61 people were defrauded due to undelivered concert tickets and merchandise that never appeared.
What’s crazy is that nearly 60% of romance scam victims are over the age of 60, which shows that these criminals know exactly who they are targeting.
Scammers are using high-pressure tactics and artificial intelligence to make their schemes more convincing, according to The Tennessean, operating in countries such as Cambodia, where they operate what authorities call “large-scale fraud factories.”
“We urge everyone to pause before taking action and be wary of the high-pressure tactics used by scammers,” Riley made clear in the statement.
The FBI’s advice is simple: update your systems, use multi-factor authentication, don’t click on random links, and remain alert for anything that requires immediate action.
If you have been targeted, please report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).
It’s not just about protecting your money. This is about protecting the entire music ecosystem from increasingly bold predators.
