Tom Selleck, the legendary actor known for his roles in Magnum, P.I., Blue Bloods, and Three Men and a Baby, is not dead. Despite the rumors that circulated on social media and some websites in late 2022 and early 2023, the 77-year-old star is alive and well. However, many fans were shocked and saddened by the false news of his demise, which was part of a malicious hoax designed to lure people into clicking on deceptive ads and links. Here is how the death hoax unfolded and how to avoid falling for such scams in the future.
The Origin of the Hoax
The death hoax about Tom Selleck started in December 2022, when some Facebook posts claimed that there was “sad news” about the beloved actor. The posts did not specify what the news was, but urged users to check the comments for more information. In the comments section, there was a link to an article on a website called recipmo.com, which had nothing to do with Selleck’s death or health. Instead, it showed Google-hosted ads about the TV show Blue Bloods, in which Selleck plays the role of New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan.
According to Snopes, these ads were misleading and false, as they suggested that Selleck had stepped back or split from the show. In reality, Selleck has been a regular cast member of Blue Bloods since its premiere in 2010 and has no plans to leave the show. The ads were likely created by foreign scammers who wanted to profit from the popularity of the show and the actor.
The CBD Gummies Scam
If users clicked on the Blue Bloods ads, they were redirected to another website that looked like People.com, a reputable celebrity news magazine. However, this was a fake version of People.com, hosted by domains such as swopfind.com or electricalpanelparts.com. The website featured an article that claimed that Selleck had endorsed a product called Nature’s Boost CBD Gummies, a type of cannabis-infused candy that supposedly had health benefits.
The article quoted Selleck as saying that he used CBD gummies to relieve his chronic pain and anxiety, and that he wanted to share his secret with his fans. The article also included fake testimonials from other celebrities who allegedly used the product, such as Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, and Willie Nelson. The article then offered a free trial of the product for a limited time, asking users to enter their credit card details to pay for shipping and handling.
However, this was also a scam, as Snopes reported. Selleck has never endorsed CBD gummies or any other cannabis-related product. The quotes attributed to him and other celebrities were fabricated. The free trial offer was a bait-and-switch scheme that would charge users a monthly subscription fee of $89.95 after 14 days unless they canceled. The product itself was of dubious quality and effectiveness, and could have harmful side effects.
