A woman scammed by a Kenny Chesney impersonator can’t sue the country superstar, an appeals court has ruled.
Patricia Linson, who was duped into paying $310,000 (£227,000) to a phony Chesney, had claimed that the real star was legally liable for failing to stop imposters from defrauding his fans.
But in a ruling last week obtained by Billboard, a California court ruled that legal precedent does not require celebrities to “warn and protect their fans against third-party imposter scams”.
“We do not doubt that financial scams are becoming more sophisticated and prevalent as technological developments make it easier for people to impersonate others,” the court wrote in the ruling. But it further noted that it would stretch “common sense and sound public policy to require celebrities to post warnings about third-party scams on their websites and social media accounts lest they face liability”.
Linson told how the fake Chesney contacted her via LinkedIn in 2021 and pleaded with her to send him the cash. The fraudster allegedly needed it to appear at an awards show, to repair instruments and to pay for music videos. She was reportedly convinced when the imposter shared details about future concerts and releases that were not yet public.
After the scam came to light, Linson filed a lawsuit in 2022, aimed at holding the actual scammer and a named accomplice responsible, but also accusing the She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy singer of failing to stop the fraud.
She sued the star for negligence, arguing he likely knew that bad actors were duping fans and should have taken proactive steps to warn them.
The court has ordered Linson to pay Chesney’s legal expenses incurred in defending the appeal.
