Canadian rapper Drake has urged fans to be wary when booking tickets to gigs - following a spate of scams by "false promoters" who have allegedly used his name to advertise events.

Last year Drake and rapper Lil Wayne were both targeted by a fraudster who posed as the boss of their management company and set up fake Twitter.com pages and email accounts to facilitate false bookings and club appearances. Police launched an investigation into the allegations and Drake has been co-operating with authorities in a bid to catch the culprit.

He`s released a statement apologizing to any fans who may have been duped, and urging his followers to make sure they book tickets through official promoters.

The statement, released to Allhiphop.com, reads, "It has been brought to my attention that false promoters and booking agents are illegally using my name and likeness to promote concerts and club appearances for their own financial gain. It is frustrating for me to hear that many of my fans, who like myself are innocent victims in these scams, have been misled due to the greed of these promoters. I apologize to any fan that (sic) has been a victim of these circumstances or feels let down by false advertising."

"Please be assured that my team and I take these matters seriously and are actively co-operating with authorities. I cannot thank my fans enough for supporting my music and all that I do."
sections: Celebrities