Identity thieves thrive on Facebook – unless you pay, according to one of the UK’s most beloved actors and authors.

Miriam Margolyes has spoken out after discovering that fraudsters have been impersonating her on Facebook — using her name and image to scam her friends, fans, and even charities she supports.

But the most shocking part? According to Margolyes, Meta – the company that owns Facebook – refuses to take action unless she pays £9.99 per month to verify her profile.

Ms Margolyes revealed in a press statement that a fake Facebook account with more than 35,000 followers had been impersonating her. It wasn’t just misleading fans — it went further, messaging known contacts and attempting to extort money from a charity she supports.

She called the situation “outrageous” and condemned Meta for turning a blind eye:

“It seems the only way Meta… will take any action is if I pay £9.99 per month to have my profile verified. This, to me, is also egregious.”

This isn’t just about one celebrity’s frustration. Margolyes is right to call this what it is: a billionaire company profiting from fraud. If Meta can identify fake accounts and remove them for paying users, why not for everyone?

“This payment is simply a way for billionaires to benefit from fraudsters taking advantage of the reputation of actors, musicians, and creatives.”

In other words: pay for protection — or accept that you and your community might be scammed. It’s a digital-age protection racket, dressed up as a safety feature.

Facebook (and Meta more broadly) have long promoted their tools as keeping users safe. But this latest scandal shows just how hollow those claims really are.

Unless you pay, they won’t even stop fraud.

And it’s not just celebrities. Deepfake accounts and impersonation scams hit ordinary users too — often with devastating consequences. But because there’s no outcry, no headlines, and no subscription fee, nothing is done.

Ms Margolyes put it bluntly:

“Being an artist can be hard enough, without having deepfake accounts to contend with.”

Let’s not forget: this comes on the heels of platforms like Meta throttling traffic to independent media, hiding external links, and pushing algorithmic content designed to keep users scrolling — not informed.

Their business model is simple:

• Reward outrage and engagement

• Punish anything that sends people away from the platform

• Monetise the problems they helped create

And now, apparently, they’re charging you to stop impersonators from committing fraud in your name.

Miriam Margolyes has the platform to call this out. Most of us don’t. But we can still make noise.

📢 Share this article.
💬 Comment with your own experience.
🧭 Tag Meta.
📝 Tell them it’s not acceptable to ignore fraud unless there’s a subscription fee attached.

And of course:

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Because the only way to be heard over the algorithm is to shout together.