Sandra Bullock has revealed that her decision to join Instagram in April was driven primarily by a need to combat scammers who were using her name and image to defraud fans, rather than simply to promote her upcoming film "Practical Magic 2". Speaking on the "SmartLess" podcast, the Oscar-winning actress said fraudulent accounts impersonating her had been extracting thousands of pounds from victims, causing significant distress to families who struggled to convince relatives they had been deceived. The revelation highlights a growing problem of celebrity impersonation scams and the lengths stars must go to in order to protect their fans.

Bullock said the scamming began roughly a year and a half before she went public, with her sister fielding calls from people claiming to have lost thousands of dollars to fake accounts. Having previously stated in February 2025 that she did not use social media at all, Bullock has since amassed six million followers on Instagram, where most of her 14 posts have promoted "Practical Magic 2", due for release on 10 September via Warner Bros. She noted that although launching a verified account reduced the fraud somewhat, impersonation scams have continued regardless.