Nollywood actor Frederick Leonard has denied reports claiming that aspiring actors are being asked to pay fees to audition for his newly launched production company.
The actor, in a video shared on his verified Instagram page, said fraudsters were using his name to deceive members of the public by falsely announcing auditions and demanding payments.
Prompt News reports Leonard clarified that his production company has not opened any audition process and said any future updates would only be shared through his official social media platforms.
“Some lazy Nigerian youths, unscrupulous elements, and fraudsters have decided to use my name to scam people, claiming they are organising auditions and collecting money for them,” he said.
The actor stressed that genuine auditions are not paid services, noting that their purpose is to identify and support new talents.
“Auditions are free anywhere in the world. They are meant to discover new talents. I have not scheduled any auditions for my production company. The moment I do, I will post it on my verified accounts so that the authorities can take note,” he added.
In a public notice accompanying the video, Leonard wrote:
“PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT! BEWARE OF SCAMMERS! Please read and share! This is to state that I Frederick Leonard IS NOT CONDUCTING AUDITIONS OR ASKING PEOPLE TO PAY FOR AUDITIONS ANYWHERE! IF and when the need for that arises, there will be a proper announcement on my VERIFIED ACCOUNTS. THANK YOU.”
His warning comes amid increasing cases of online impersonation involving Nigerian celebrities, with scammers creating fake accounts and using public figures’ identities to defraud unsuspecting individuals.
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Last week, actor IK Ogbonna also dismissed claims that he was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an alleged $75,000 romance scam involving an American woman.
Ogbonna said the reports were false and blamed the claims on fake social media accounts created in his name.
