Fake Chippendales Scam

Recently the "202 Market" bar in Roanoke, VA advertised that it was going to be hosting the famous Chippendales dancers. But soon it had to retract its announcement and admit that it had fallen victim to a scam. It had been deceived by a group of frauds posing as the Chippendales — Chippenfakes, you might call them. [roanoke.com]

Apparently the Roanoke bar isn't alone in falling for this scam. Kevin Denberg, manager of the real Chippendales, warns that there are a number of fraudulent groups trying to pass themselves off as the Chippendales. The official Chippendales website even has a form that allows fans to report any fakes.

What I find interesting is that if a bar books one of these Chippenfakes, a group of men actually does show up and perform. Denberg insists that they are a "subpar product" when compared to the real deal, but you have to wonder how bad are they? Really bad? Or would most people not notice the difference?


Denberg also reveals that these imposters are usually the same handful of individuals. So perhaps it's a group of ex-Chippendales dancers gone rogue. Or a group of bitter men who tried out for the Chippendales but didn't make the cut.

The good news for Chippendales fans in Roanoke is that the real ones have agreed to stage a performance there in December. The scheduled date is 12/12/12, which, coincidentally, is the day the world ends. So it should be quite a show.

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