Strictly’s 20th anniversary series has kicked off with 15 new celebrities taking to the dance floor for the first time with their professional dancers.
However, there is one participant for whom life in the public eye is not easy. She says she has had to deal with multiple identity fraudsters.
Doctor Punam Krishan, best known as a TV doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live programme, fell victim to online scammers who used her photo in fake accounts and spread false information.
In her column with The New York Times, she speaks candidly about the unrest this has caused. iPaper In April, Dr. Punam admitted, “Hardly a day goes by without me receiving a message from a social media follower informing me about a fake account that is using my images to send spam.”
The Glasgow GP admitted she was “very concerned” about the rise of AI-generated “deepfake” videos, which allow fraudsters to manipulate video and audio in a sophisticated way to mimic real life.
‘This is what happened when my photo was used in a scam’: Strictly contestant Dr Punam Krishan has revealed how she fell victim to online scammers as she confessed to ‘major concerns’ over the rise of ‘deepfakes’
The GP, best known as a TV doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live programme, fell victim to online scammers who used her photo in fake accounts spreading false information
Dr. Punam expressed her concerns and explained that she chooses to work in the media to address the health misinformation that often circulates online and to provide accessible information to the public.
She wrote: ‘It’s painful to hear that followers have received messages from fake accounts pretending to be mine.’
The doctor said scammers often take photos from her social media account, sometimes even including snapshots of her family, with incorrect information in the captions.
The scammers, posing as Dr. Punam, then ask victims for money for medical research or for charities that claim to raise money for humanitarian causes, and who also sell products without proof.
She continued: ‘I worry a lot about the implications of this. I block and report these accounts immediately, and advise my followers to do the same, but I still feel anxious about how far and wide they have traveled.
‘What if someone fell for it, transferred money or, worse, followed the bad advice and became unwell as a result?’
Dr Punam urged people to be more careful about what they read online, especially when it comes to health. He stressed the importance of consulting reliable sources, such as the NHS website, before taking action.
After speaking out on the issue, fans expressed their condolences for the star in the comments.
She expressed her concerns, writing: “It’s disturbing to hear from followers who have received messages from fake accounts pretending to be me” (Photo on Morning Live)
She continued: ‘I worry a lot about the implications of this. I immediately block and report these accounts, and I advise my followers to do the same, but I still feel anxious about how far and wide they have traveled’ (pictured with her dance partner Gorka Márquez)
After speaking out on the issue, fans expressed their condolences to the star by sharing the comments
One wrote: ‘Thanks for raising this awareness – it’s scary! The potential for other areas and sectors to be affected is also very real – it’s really important to remain hyper-vigilant.’
Dr Punam then replied, “It’s scary and very disturbing.”
Another added: ‘This is so scary… Thanks for sharing.’
This came after Dr. Punam revealed that she wore her dancing shoes when she visited her doctor, in an attempt to break them in.
The star, who is partnering with Gorka Marquez this year, said she was advised to wear high-heeled dancing shoes as much as possible so they are more comfortable during practice.
In a video she recorded in her practice and posted online, Dr. Krishan discusses the feedback she received during her first session.
She said: ‘You know I’m training in the evenings at the moment for all the parts of Strictly and the feedback I’ve had after my first day of training is that I really need to break in my dancing shoes so that they’re not as painful as they were and to avoid blisters.
“So I had to be a little creative and work with the time I had. I had to take them to work. So, as you can see, they’re really high. Not comfortable at all. Very tight.
Dr Krishan is married to fellow GP and Scottish Conservative MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane, whom she married in 2011
This comes after Dr Punam revealed that she wore her dancing shoes to her GP surgery in an attempt to break them in.
“And after dancing in them for a couple of hours, I can’t tell you how sore your toes are. So I’m just going to rock my scrubs and sandals.
‘So I wonder how that’s going to go down with the patients when I’m going click-clack-clack-clack through the halls. But you gotta do what you gotta do to get through.
‘That’s what I’m working with today: surgical clothing, stethoscopes and sandals.’
Dr Krishan is married to fellow GP and Scottish Conservative MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane, whom she married in 2011.
The couple have a son Aarish, 11, and a daughter Ellora, four. They also have a pet cockapoo.
