It’s the message every young photographer dreams of receiving – the world’s most powerful pop star enquiring about your services ahead of her big day.
But when one Gold Coast wedding photographer excitedly announced that Taylor Swift had slid into her DMs last month, fans weren’t convinced.
Zoë Iliff, who specialises in elopement and destination wedding photography, raised eyebrows when she uploaded a screenshot of the alleged message from Swift, two days after the singer had announced her engagement to Travis Kelce.
‘Hey Zoë, I just found your profile, Travis and I love your work! I know you’re a small business from Australia, but we think you would be perfect for our wedding photography,’ the message began.
‘We love to editorial vibe, mixed with the incredible cliff top scenes you’re creating. Are you able to please send me your best contact details and your wedding photography package information? Excited to hear from you!’
While at first glance the post may seem legitimate, a closer look reveals one big red flag.
Gold Coast photographer Zoë Iliff has been busted for posting a fake DM from Taylor Swift ahead of her wedding to Travis Kelce
Zoë Iliff, who specialises in elopement and destination wedding photography, raised eyebrows when she uploaded a screenshot of the alleged message from Swift (right), two days after the singer had announced her engagement to Travis Kelce (left)
The screenshot shows Swift is following Iliff’s page on Instagram – but Swift doesn’t follow anyone on the app.
Yet Iliff played along in her caption, expressing utter disbelief at receiving a ‘message’ from the world’s most talked-about bride-to-be.
‘When you hear about hundreds of world-class photographers sliding into Taylor Swift’s inbox, pitching for the chance to shoot her wedding… you just sort of assume she’ll choose one of them,’ she gushed.
‘But then there’s me – a fairly new photographer from the Gold Coast, with barely any followers, just quietly doing my thing behind the camera. And somehow… out of all the noise, she found me.’
‘She actually enquired about booking me for her wedding photography. I still can’t believe this happened,’ she concluded.
Some followers were fooled, with several congratulating her in the comments section.
‘Incredible!’ one user wrote, prompting Iliff to reply: ‘Never in my wildest dreams!’
‘Say whaaaaaat?!?!??’, someone else wrote, with Iliff replying: ‘Need to catch up and tell you all about it!’
The screenshot shows Swift is following Iliff’s page on Instagram – but Swift doesn’t follow anyone on the app
Another user wrote: ‘WHAT THE ACTUAL F—!!! That is epic babe!!!!!’, to which Iliff replied: ‘Literally unbelievable!!’
Indeed, plenty of other users couldn’t believe it.
‘Hate to bust your joy bubble but she doesn’t follow anyone,’ one wrote, as another posted: ‘I’ll take ‘things that didn’t happen’ for 500 thanks Alex!’
‘Fact check: just checked all your followers, TS does not follow u. Would be cool if that actually did happen,’ another user added, while someone else simply wrote: ‘Fake news.’
Posting fake DMs from celebrities has become a trend on social media in recent years, often used by businesses to drum up online attention.
However, doing so could land you in big trouble.
Posting a fake DM of a celebrity endorsing your business in Australia could expose you to Australian Consumer Law penalties, defamation claims, lawsuits from the celebrity, and platform bans.
Even if intended as ‘a joke,’ regulators and celebrities’ lawyers may not see it that way.
Swift has a reputation for being litigious when it comes to protecting her brand, image and intellectual property. She and her legal team have a track record of pursuing legal action (or threatening it) over trademarks, defamation, impersonation, and misrepresentation
Swift has a reputation for being litigious when it comes to protecting her brand, image and intellectual property.
She and her legal team have a track record of pursuing legal action (or threatening it) over trademarks, defamation, impersonation, and misrepresentation.
In 2020, Swift’s team publicly condemned a series of scam Facebook ads for keto diet pills and investment schemes that included fake screenshots making it look like Swift endorsed the product.
While she did not sue, her team publicly denounced the scams, warning fans not to trust anything suggesting she endorsed products without official confirmation.
The Cruel Summer songstress has also filed dozens of trademarks (e.g., Swifties, This Sick Beat) and actively polices unauthorised use.
Businesses that used her name, likeness, or ‘fake communications’ in marketing have received cease-and-desist letters.
