‘Rubbish’: Kate Ritchie calls out online scammers using her image to sell weight loss gummies

Actress Kate Ritchie has hit back an online scammers who have used her image in a bogus ad without her permission.

Kate Ritchie has called out online scammers who have used her image to sell weight loss products.

The actress and radio host took to Instagram over the weekend to warn her followers that she is not promoting weight loss gummies as the ad suggests.

In the hoax advertisement, the scammers overlaid Ritchie’s image with the text, “Ladies, I didn't expect that my weight loss...” and the accompanying caption read, “I couldn’t lose weight for a long time.”

The former Home and Away star, 45, has shared the screenshot on her Instagram page, urging her followers to condemn the scam business and report it.

Kate Ritchie calls out fake weight loss ad using her image.

“THIS POST OR ANYTHING LIKE IT IS FAKE,” she wrote alongside the screenshot. “I am sorry to all the people who have believed this rubbish of me selling KETO GUMMIES or ANY KIND OF QUICK FIX WEIGHTLOSS PLAN!”

“Please share this post (from the real me) to your own socials on Insta and FB and feel free to report the numerous versions of FAKES floating around out there. Oh. And a big thank you to everyone who has notified me asking questions.”

The image appeared to be taken from when Ritchie appeared on Anh Do’s Brush With Fame in 2021. Picture: ABC

It appears Ritchie isn’t the only Aussie celebrity who has been caught up in the scam. Beloved actress Rebecca Gibney said her image was also used without her knowledge to promote the dangerous weight loss gummies.

“Those gummies get around. They did the same thing to me not long ago! #fakeadvertising!” the Packed to the Rafters star commented on Ritchie’s post.

Rebecca Gibney was caught up in the scam despite losing weight from diet and exercise.

Earlier this year, radio personality Jackie “O” Henderson was also targeted by the same keto gummie scam.

In her fake advertisement, heavily edited before and after images of Henderson were used to exaggerate her weight loss in an attempt to sell Keto gummies.

Henderson was photoshopped to appear heavier in the “before” pics, while her real image was used in the “after” snaps.

Jackie “O” Henderson was also featured in a hoax weight loss ad.

“Now I weigh 57kg and I want to lose another 3-5 kilos,” read a fake caption supposedly from Henderson, who called out the photo on Instagram.

“Another day another scam!!! If you see me ‘advertising’ keto gummies, it ain’t true. But I’m loving their photoshopped pics,” she wrote at the time, while sharing the bogus ad.

The Kyle & Jackie O Show host has always been very open with her weight loss since embarking on a health journey with WW – formerly known as Weight Watchers – in late 2022.

Since joining the program, she has lost more than 18kg with activities such as tennis, running and aerobics helping her get fit.