A few years ago, we began to see an increase of accounts that claim to be members of the Backstreet Boys on various social media apps. It’s a problem many celebrities are facing. Accounts do get reported and removed, but these people continue to create new ones. Now this isn’t the first time fans have dealt with impostors, posers, fakes, and anything else you want to call them. They’ve been around for years.
The majority of the time, these accounts are being used to scam people out of money. Which unfortunately has happened. There were reports in the news about people being scammed out of thousands of dollars by people claiming to be a celebrity. Despite social media having verified accounts to let you know that the person is in fact the celebrity, some people don’t quite understand this. They think they’re talking to a celebrity and end up getting scammed. I’ve dealt with posers like these almost 20 years ago. While I never dealt with this type of situation, I was bullied by a poser for four years on and off. I’ve seen others convinced they were in fact speaking to a BSB and/or got scammed by them.
The following is how to identify that an account belongs to a BSB. This information was originally on the Kaos Online Facebook page, but since Facebook has removed the notes feature it could no longer be edited. Should there be any new changes/updates to the various social media platforms this post will be updated to keep everyone informed of the latest news.
Post updated on January 24, 2025.
TIKTOK BAN IN THE U.S.
On January 19, 2024 TikTok was banned in the United States. The ban was actually set at 10:30 PM ET January 18. Those living in the US would see a message stating the app was no longer available. We could not post videos or watch them. Then the next day the app was available again. The reason for the ban is because the US government believes China is spying. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. As of right now, it was given a 90 day extension. TikTok needs to sell the app or it could be banned permanently in the US. Why are we mentioning this in a post about fake accounts on social media? Well, we want to explain what will happen if this ban becomes permanent.
- Should a permanent ban happen keep in mind that anyone living in the United States can’t use the app anymore. We can’t post videos and can’t watch videos. During the first ban a message showed up on the screen telling us the app was banned in the US.
If this happens again, that means all official accounts will no longer be updated. BSB, Nick, Howie, and AJ can’t post new videos. You’ll have to follow them on other social media. - Be aware of accounts that say they’re BSB, Nick, Howie, AJ or even Brian and Kevin (who never joined TikTok). IT IS NOT THEM. During a ban they can’t open the app. They can’t create new accounts or do anything. No one from the US can use the app.
- Any account that follows you or sends you a private message (direct message aka DM) saying they’re BSB you should immediately block and report them. These are people who want to steal money from you.
VERIFIED ACCOUNTS
All social media websites/apps such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), and others verify celebrity accounts. Verified accounts let you know that the account is official and belongs to a celebrity. How do you know it’s them? An account belonging to the Boys will have a blue check mark by their name. It’s the first thing you should look for when an account messages or follows you and claims they are Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ, or Kevin. This confirms whether or not the account is real.
Update: As of April 20, 2023 Twitter (now known as X) has removed the verified check mark to legacy accounts. These accounts were previously verified and confirmed to belong to the celebrity or any public figure. Now unless you pay for their premium subscription you will no longer have the blue check mark. Currently Nick and the Backstreet Boys official group account are the only ones with the blue check mark. AJ, Brian, Howie and Kevin don’t have this, but we have their official accounts listed below.
For other social media accounts the following information about the verified blue check marks still applies.
Don’t see a blue check mark on an account claiming to be a Backstreet Boy? It is NOT them. No matter what they say it is not them. Or how convincing they seem to be. Sometimes when the guys join a new social media website they will announce it through their existing social media. Usually, they do so on X (Twitter). If they don’t, then it’s most likely not them.
In the example below, there is a blue check mark by Nick’s name on different social media apps. The accounts are official and belong to Nick himself. So, if you do get a reply from an account listed as Nick Carter and you see this blue check mark next to his name in the comment it is him. Nick’s accounts are all @nickcarter.
A fake account will often mention they set up the account to interact with fans themselves as their other account is by management. Or they do not want management to know about their new account. This information is FALSE. BSB only use their verified accounts to interact with fans. Keep that in mind when you get a private message from someone claiming to be them. Sometimes these fake accounts will upload photos of blue checks as their profile photos to prove it is real, but it is not.
Now that X (Twitter) has removed the verified blue check marks unless you pay for their premium features there are things you should know.
X allows anyone who purchases a subscription to Premium to get the verified check mark. This is a subscription with extra features such as editing tweets, uploading longer videos, and more. Any account with the blue check mark will state the following when you click on it. “This account is verified.”
Many celebrities have opted to not subscribe to premium so finding out who is the actual celebrity and who isn’t may confuse some people. Unless you’ve followed them long before this change.
In the event that an impostor/fake account should message you on any social media, we suggest blocking the account and reporting it for impersonation, fake profile, or scam. Each app lists this differently, but you should find the option that is for reporting fake profiles.
Don’t reply. We’ve heard stories of fans getting hacked by them as well. So, it’s best to simply block and report them to be safe.
The guys do not use WhatsApp. Telegram, Google chats, Gmail, etc to chat with fans. Did you receive a message from someone on any of these apps saying they’re one of the Boys’, management or someone else from their team? It’s not them. They do not contact fans privately.
The following are the only official/verified accounts that the Backstreet Boys currently have. The accounts are linked so you can click on them. If we know any other official accounts we’ll update.
X (formerly known as Twitter): @nickcarter, @backstreetboys, @aj_mclean, @howied, @kevinrichardson, and @brian_littrell
Facebook: Nick Carter, Backstreet Boys, AJ McLean, Howie D, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell
Instagram: nickcarter, backstreetboys, aj_mclean, howie_dorough, kevinscottrichardson, and rokspics (Brian)
Threads (same as Instagram) @nickcarter, @backstreetboys, @aj_mclean, @howie_dorough, @rokspics
TikTok: @nickcarter, @BackstreetBoys, @ajmcleanofficial, and @howied
YouTube: NickCarter & NickCarterVevo, BSBOfficial, OfficialAJMcLeanTV, HowieDOfficial, KevinRichardsonTV & KSR, and MrMrsLittrell (Brian)
Twitch: nickcarter
Below is a list of things to look out for when coming in contact with an impostor/fake account.
THEY ASK FOR PAYMENT/MONEY FOR MEET & GREET, CONCERT TICKETS, AND MORE
Be aware of these fake accounts asking you for money. Besides not having the blue check mark by their name, asking you for money should be a warning sign that the account does not belong to them. This is one of the reasons why these accounts are being created. To steal money from people.
They send fans private messages asking for money in the form of a gift card. No Backstreet Boy (or any celebrity) will ask fans for money in order to meet them or for concert tickets. They will also not ask you for personal information. Often they will make absurd claims as to why they need the money. Should you get a message like this, block and report for fraud, scam, impersonation, fake profile, or any other option you see that fits the situation. Do not respond. They may find a way to hack you and steal money. Do not reply thinking you’re going to mess with them. You do not know if they can actually hack your account or not.
COMMENTING ON OFFICIAL PAGES
Fake accounts will reply to fans in comments on the Boys’ verified accounts (or Facebook page) asking to message them or they will post links for telegram or Whatsapp. As stated above if it does not have a check mark by their name it’s 100% not them.
There are even profiles that say they met BSB and they have their official telegram and whatsapp accounts. This is FALSE. In their comments they post links to those apps. Don’t click on those links. Those links may take you to sites that may have viruses and can steal your info.
They like comments on the Boys verified accounts and pages. Sometimes the Boys’ themselves will like comments made by fans so you have to make sure it’s them. On Facebook it does not show the verified blue check mark in notifications. You can click on the profile image in your notification and it should take you to the profile. From there you’ll see if the account is verified.
As you can see below, a fan’s comment on Nick’s Facebook was liked by two accounts listed as Nick Carter. The first one shows the comment was liked by a fake profile. The fake profile has an add friend button. You can only like and follow celebrities on Facebook. The second photo shows the comment was actually liked (heart) by Nick as he has a blue check mark by his name.
Be aware of pages/profiles being created on Facebook to look like it’s a private account belonging to a BSB or fan pages. As stated previously, BSB has verified accounts. These pages most are likely NOT real fan pages. These are people trying to lure fans into believing it is a page or profile specifically used by BSB to message fans privately. They list that they’re official, private, chat pages, real, etc as the name on the page. They will also use names such as fans page, lovers, fans, and fan site to look like a fan made page. They even misspell these words or even the Boys’ names.
Their profile will also show images of the verified icon to come across real. No celebrity has images of the verified icon. The icon only appears next to their name when their account has been verified aka confirmed that it is them.
THEY JOIN PUBLIC FAN MADE FACEBOOK GROUPS
They will also join many fan made groups. Many fans create groups on Facebook to share content and chat with other fans. Most are public groups that anyone can join without being approved by admins or moderators and are not being monitored properly.
For anyone who owns a Facebook group or knows anyone who does, make sure you don’t have any fake accounts as members. Fake accounts or pages use groups to find fans to message and attempt to scam them and steal money. If you come across any that claim they are Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ or Kevin ban them from your group and report their page for impersonation. They will make posts claiming they are Nick or any other BSB. At this time BSB have not joined any Facebook groups.
Neither will anyone from their management, social media team, or anyone who knows them will join groups asking fans to message them or say things like be aware of fake profiles. Yes, fake accounts will try to act official and say this too. They may also have fake profile pics of other people who are NOT who they say they are.
PREVENT FAKE ACCOUNTS FROM JOINING YOUR FACEBOOK GROUP
To prevent fake accounts from joining your Facebook group we suggest changing your group settings to approve people. Don’t know how to do this? We can help.
- On the Facebook website go to your group and on the left side scroll to the bottom where it says settings.
- Using the Facebook app instead? On the group page click the icon at the top right that has a star in the middle. Then scroll to settings.
- Once you click on that scroll to where you see manage membership (membership on the app). Change the setting who can approve member requests to admins and moderators. This means anytime someone wants to join their request will be pending. You or your moderators will have to accept their requests. With this change you can see when fake accounts try to join your group and from there you can deny/ban them.
Two ways to block and report accounts.
- Have you found fake accounts who are already posting in your group? Ban them from your group and report them for impersonation. You can only ban accounts while using the Facebook website. The app does not. On the website scroll over their name and a pop up will appear. On the bottom right click the 3 dots (…) and from there you’ll see the options to ban and report them.
- You can also click (or right click to open in a new tab) on their name. It will take you to their profile showing the content they posted in your group. There is a button that says view profile. This will load their full profile. Look for the button with 3 dots. Once you click that you can report the profile. Select fake profile from the list shown. Then celebrity or public figure. A box will appear and you can type in the name of the BSB they are pretending to be. When the Boys’ official account appears (it will show a blue check) select it by clicking on their name. Once you’ve done that click next and hit submit.
Both apply to requests to join groups as well should you find fake accounts trying to join. Number 2 is what I’ve done mostly when fakes would attempt to join groups before banning them. By doing this you can go back to the tab with the group open to ban/decline the accounts. You can ban/decline first but make sure you open their profile in a new tab or else you will not be able to view it.
SENDING YOU PRIVATE MESSAGES OR EMAILS
They may attempt to scam you through email. In private messages on apps they’ll tell you to get in contact with their manager. Who will then ask you for gift cards in order to meet BSB or get tickets to shows. Their manager nor anyone they work with will do this. BSB wouldn’t use Google accounts, Gmail or any email service to do this. Any email you receive, report it to the email provider you use and block the person.
The only place you should purchase tickets to concerts, events, or meet & greet is through their official websites, Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and other official companies that sell tickets in your country.
Some will also send old photos to prove it’s them. Which doesn’t prove anything. Anyone can search the guys on Google or social media to find a photo to use.
THEY DO NOT KNOW PROPER ENGLISH AND MISSPELL THEIR NAMES OR USE ANOTHER CELEBRITY NAME
They don’t know how to write in English properly. As we all know BSB are American so they would know English. These people tend to misspell and have terrible grammar. This means they are likely from other countries. Sometimes they’ll list the country they may be from on their profile giving it away that they are not BSB. I’ve noticed multiple fake accounts claiming to be Nick listing Vegas, Texas as his hometown which is wrong.
The boys’ names are often misspelled, have extra letters and numbers added. Other times they’ll list a name while their @ handle says someone else’s name. For example on X (Twitter) their name appears as AJ McLean, but when you tag them it’s @ someone else. The celebrities name and handle would be their name unless stated otherwise like Brian on Instagram. He uses his nickname.
They copy everything from the official accounts. Profile photos, header/cover photos, and posts. On X (Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram they will repost everything from the official account. Or they will reupload the boys content to their own to appear official. Over on Instagram they will copy their posts and post them onto their accounts.
Many are following fans on Instagram, TikTok, or on X (Twitter). This can confuse fans at first without seeing the account @ handle and only seeing for example Howie D followed you in your notifications. Should an account claiming to be them follow you I’d make sure if it is them. As mentioned above they may have multiple numbers in their @ handle, misspelled names, wrong celebrity names, etc.
SCAMMERS ARE NOW USING AI TO SCAM FANS
Lately, it has been reported in the news that scammers are using AI to create fake videos and photos of celebrities to prove it is really them. So, be careful of accounts doing this. If they do as always report them
CLAIMING TO BE FAMILY MEMBERS OR REAL FANS
Lately many accounts on TikTok have popped up claiming to be Nick’s mother Jane. They list her as Jane Elizabeth Carter. As fans know Nick’s parents divorced back in 2003. Therefore her last name is no longer Carter. She remarried. She also wouldn’t be posting pics of herself with Nick’s father. Should you get a follow from “Jane” block it. We can’t report it as pretending to be someone since Jane does not have a TikTok account. Reporting these accounts for anything else likely won’t get the account banned. I’ve tried by reporting it for fraud. So, the best thing to do is just block these accounts.
It’s a similar situation with Brian or Kevin as they do not have TikTok. If there are accounts claiming to be them we can report for pretending to be someone and typing the Backstreet Boys official account. I’ve done this. Sometimes they will ban the account other times they don’t. What I’ve also noticed is any account on TikTok claiming to be a BSB with private accounts will not get them banned if reported. The same may apply to accounts with no videos..
Lastly, be aware of who you communicate with on social media. Some may claim to be fans and in the end are NOT actual fans. They only pretend to be fans to cause harm to fans and to the boys.
While, we can’t stop these people from creating accounts, trying to scam people, and other things, you can report them as mentioned previously. Just be safe when it comes to these accounts. You never know what the person behind the account is capable of doing.
If you do get scammed you should report it to your local police. Save the chats, emails, the account names, profile links or anything this person has sent you. We’re not sure if this would help you get your money back, but this is a crime and should be reported.