Daniel O’Donnell has warned people about social media scammers who are using his name to try and collect money during the coronavirus outbreak.

The singer spoke to The Pat Kenny Show from Donegal this morning.

He explained: “Someone set up an Instagram account, and on it they put a link where people could donate.

“I was supposed to have put in a piece ‘help the people who are trying to stop the coronavirus by donating to this account’... Obviously I had nothing to do with it."

  

O'Donnell said it's "unbelievable" that people can't let their guard down even during a time of national crisis.

He observed: “There are these fraudsters who capitalise and come in and take advantage of vulnerable people for the most part at these times.

“I just want to alert people… there probably will be other ways they have done this illegally too. The cleverest of people can get caught when your guard is down.”

Responding to reports of other coronavirus scams, the singer said anyone taking advantage of the current situation in that way "have no conscience at all."

O'Donnell returned to Ireland from the US around three weeks ago, after being on a cruise ship and attending an event in New York.

He observed: “It really hadn’t hit home what was coming to the world.

"As soon as we got home here, Ireland seemed to be more than a step ahead in the way it was being dealt with here.

  

“I really have to commend everyone involved - the Government, the health workers, everyone out there making the country function."

He said he and his wife Majella have been only leaving the house for shopping and walks since they returned, with Majella making rare visits to her mother to deliver supplies.

He also praised yesterday's nationwide applause and cheering for frontline health workers.

O'Donnell said: “Majella and I stood outside the door here. There’s nobody near us, but as we started to clap our neighbours about 300-400 yards away, we could hear them clapping. When they heard us, they started to shout to us.

“It’s a wonderful feeling of solidarity for all those people... they probably haven't a chance to even think about others doing this to honour them, but it was the right thing to do last night."

Main image: File photo of Daniel O'Donnell. Picture by: Brian Lawless/PA Archive/PA Images