Tennis Champion Among Victims in Decade-Long Celebrity Fraud Scheme
Fraudster Whitney Walton victimized celebrities including tennis champion Yannick Noah over a decade.
Event / Security
Whitney Walton Telephone Fraud Scheme
Historical investigation into a 1980s telephone fraud operation targeting celebrities and wealthy individuals, including tennis champion Yannick Noah's recent disclosure of victimization following his 1983 French Open victory.
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2026-09-06 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 6 Sept, 19:23 UTC
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What happened
Yannick Noah was victim of Whitney Walton's telephone fraud scheme
Tennis champion Yannick Noah was among the victims of Whitney Walton's fraud scheme. Walton extracted gifts, money, and jewelry from Noah through telephone contact, posing as a woman he had never met in person.
Vanity Fair investigation identified Whitney Walton fraud operation in 1999
Vanity Fair published an investigation in 1999 that revealed the identity of 'Miranda Grosvenor' as Whitney Walton, exposing her decade-long telephone fraud scheme that targeted numerous celebrities including Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Robert De Niro, Art Garfunkel, Bono, and Quincy Jones.
Whitney Walton conducted decade-long telephone fraud scheme against celebrities
Whitney Walton, using the pseudonym 'Miranda Grosvenor', operated a telephone-based fraud scheme during the 1980s targeting celebrities and wealthy businessmen. She posed as various personas including a blonde model, student, or wealthy heiress, using these identities to seduce and defraud her targets of money, gifts, and jewelry.
Yannick Noah won French Open in 1983, first French champion in 37 years
On June 5, 1983, at Roland Garros, Yannick Noah became the first French player to win the Coupe des Mousquetaires (French Open title) in 37 years.
Whitney Walton died in February 2016 at age 74
Whitney Walton, the woman who operated the 'Miranda Grosvenor' fraud scheme, died on February 24, 2016, at the age of 74.
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