Australian and New Zealand Facebook users are supposedly sharing screenshots of bank transaction notifications showing big returns from investing in cryptocurrency, all thanks to self-described financial trader Kiran Jason.
This is false. The screenshots are fake and “Kiran Jason” is not the woman in the profiles’ photos and videos.
AAP FactCheck has previously analysed dozens of Facebook accounts of supposed financial traders who have used deception and fake images to target potential investors in the Pacific Islands (such as here, here, and here).
One account targeting people in Papua New Guinea scammed a victim out of more than 15,000 kina (about $A6000).
This time, two supposed traders – both named Kiran Jason and using photos of the same woman (accounts archived here and here) – are trying to dupe Facebook users in Australia and New Zealand.
The woman whose images both Jason accounts have hijacked is Megan Keruskin, a real estate agent from Arizona. Ms Keruskin has no connection to the Jason accounts.
Both of the accounts’ profile pictures – here and here – are taken from Ms Keruskin’s Instagram account – here and here.
This photo, posted on Facebook with a caption saying “start trading with us”, is taken from a January post by Ms Keruskin advertising her real estate services.
Both versions of Jason, who claim to be from Los Angeles, have been thanked by alleged investors based in Australia and New Zealand for turning a $1000 investment into $10,000 in only three hours.
These Facebook posts, from users whose accounts appear to have been hacked or duplicated, include images of bank transfer message alerts from Westpac and ANZ banks as proof of Jason’s amazing trading expertise.
But a representative from Westpac NZ confirmed to AAP FactCheck in an email that the screenshot in this post from a New Zealand user does not show a legitimate message from the bank.
As added evidence of the post’s crude chicanery, it strangely uses an ANZ logo instead of Westpac’s in the message.
A representative from Westpac Australia also confirmed that the screenshots from Australian users (such as here, here, here and here) were fake.
Representatives from ANZ New Zealand confirmed to AAP FactCheck the screenshots of text message alerts from ANZ bank were also fake (such as here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here).
The Verdict
The claim bank transaction notifications show vast sums of money made by financial trader Kiran Jason is false.
The notifications are fake and the image of the supposed trader is actually a woman called Megan Keruskin.
False — The claim is inaccurate.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
All information, text and images included on the AAP Websites is for personal use only and may not be re-written, copied, re-sold or re-distributed, framed, linked, shared onto social media or otherwise used whether for compensation of any kind or not, unless you have the prior written permission of AAP. For more information, please refer to our standard terms and conditions.
