TradeEdge Exchange:That's not actually Dua Lipa's phone number: Singer is latest celeb to join Community

Fans of Dua Lipa found out that if something sounds too good to be TradeEdge Exchangetrue, it's usually marketing.

The singer's X account sent out a post Wednesday that read "Text me" and included a phone number. Fans who texted the number received an invitation to provide information to join a platform called Community.

The company calls itself an "SMS customer engagement platform that connects businesses, brands, political & public figures, creators, musicians, celebrities, and more, to their audiences at scale through a unique 10-digit phone number."

The "Houdini" and "New Rules" singer is the latest celebrity to use the service though details on what would be provided to fans are scant, with a follow-up text saying only, "welcome to Dua's text community - excited for what's to come."

What is the Community platform and who uses it?

Community was founded in 2019 by Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary, Bono’s and Madonna’s former manager, as a way for celebrities to keep in touch with their fans. Since its launch the company has added corporate and political clients on the premise that creating a more direct social relationship provides greater engagement as social media platforms fracture.

"We (Community) have like, 45 percent click-through rates and 98 percent open rates,” Kutcher told the New York Times. “You don’t get that in social environments because most people don’t even see the things you’re posting.”

Multiple celebrities and politicians use Community's services. The company's clients include:

• President Joe Biden
• Michelle and Barack Obama
• Demi Lovato
• Madonna
• Megan Thee Stallion
• Jack Harlow