Ginuwine Impersonator Dupes Radio Stations, Concert Promoters

A man impersonating R&B artist Ginuwine convinced several radio stations and concert promoters to book him for performances and pay him in advance, according to a spokesperson for Epic Records. Ginuwine's management and label are now trying to prevent any further deceptions from taking place.

According to a statement issued by Epic Records, the Ginuwine imposter, over the course of the past several weeks, has been giving interviews on a number of radio stations while pretending to be Ginuwine. During these interviews, the imposter has claimed to be starting a record label for which he is recruiting talent.

"This individual, through various cellular phone and two-way pager schemes, has for the past three to four weeks been passing himself off as [Ginuwine]," reads the Aug. 7 press release from Epic. "He has booked concert appearances in various cities and received money from unsuspecting promoters, managers and private citizens as down payments, deposits and cash advances for shows, airline tickets and deposits for appearances."

To the imposter's credit, Epic points out in its statement that his Ginuwine impersonation is a good one.

"Apparently, this individual sounds exactly like Ginuwine over the telephone and is very persuasive in convincing his victims that he is, in fact, the artist," reads the statement.

The imposter, during a number of these incidents, successfully obtained telephone numbers and information about other artists, actors and industry executives, according to Epic.

The label warns that anyone contacted by someone claiming to be Ginuwine is likely speaking with the imposter, as the artist himself is currently working on his third album and a motion picture, and is not currently booking any appearances. Police are "aggressively" pursing the imposter, Epic said.