Who is Brian Haugen in Hey Beautiful? All about the man whose images were used in the online romance scam

Brian Haugen is an LA-based professional makeup artist and beauty educator whose images were exploited in the online romance scam showcased in the documentary series Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam. Haugen was not involved with the scam and was unaware that his photos were being used to trick victims.

Instead, he, too, became an unwitting victim, with the scammer appropriating his pictures from public sources to create false online identities. These were used to establish trust with victims and eventually scam them.

According to various sources, Haugen has had a long career in the beauty field and is known for his skills. His reputation and experience made his photos attractive to spammers looking to appear genuine and authoritative.

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Brian Haugen's background and career

Brian Haugen has worked as a makeup artist, educator, and businessperson in the beauty sector for more than 30 years. According to his professional profiles, Haugen started his career in Salt Lake City, Utah, before moving to Los Angeles, California, and working for MAC Cosmetics.

Subsequently, he established his business enterprises, such as Makeover Workshop Inc. and BY BRIAN Cosmetics. Haugen's work has been showcased in national media, such as television and magazines, and he has worked with celebrities, models, and regular clients.

According to BY BRIAN, he is renowned for his enthusiasm for makeup education. He conducts workshops, online makeovers, and one-on-one instruction, seeking to empower people.

His style blends technique with self-image awareness, and he has taught consumers and beauty professionals how to better take care of themselves. Haugen's reputation in the marketplace is established on his how-to teaching style and his passion for making others look and feel their best.

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How were Brian Haugen's photos utilized in the scam?

In Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam, the scammer used Brian Haugen's publicly posted photos to create realistic fake profiles. According to the documentary's report, the scammer created different names and used Haugen's pictures to gain credibility and lure victims into falling in love with them.

According to the reports, the photos, which showed Haugen posing professionally and privately, were borrowed from his social media and business websites without his knowledge. The victims of the scam thought that they were actually in contact with the individual in the photos.

As per the documentary, Haugen did not learn about the abuse of his photographs until he was contacted by people who were scammed. The incident taught him about the dangers of having an open online presence and the possibility of identity theft during this era of the Internet.

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Brian Haugen's reaction to the scam and current work

As per the documentary, once he learned that his photographs were being used in the scam, Brian Haugen acted to secure his identity and alert people to the issue. He still maintains his businesses, such as BY BRIAN Cosmetics and Makeover Workshop, providing beauty learning and merchandise.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Haugen is still active in the business, conducting workshops, online consultations, and individualized beauty solutions. Haugen's experience as a victim of image hijacking has reinforced the value of security and awareness on the internet.

He has employed his platform in educating others on the risk of online scams and the importance of verifying identities when dealing with individuals online. Even with the inconvenience caused by the unauthorized use of his images, Haugen remains committed to his passion for educating and empowering clients in the beauty business.

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For more details about Brian Haugen, watch Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam on Hulu.