Has someone pretended to be you or a friend of yours on Facebook? It can be a horrible experience when you realise, can’t it?
But how can someone just impersonate you on Facebook, I hear you ask?
It’s easier than you might think. Setting up a new Facebook account with a name the same as yours, or a very similar name, is pretty straightforward. Then, all they need to do is find a profile picture of you, go through your friends online and start posting to them or the world at large.
Of course, your close friends and family will usually spot that something isn’t quite right and call out the ruse. It can be a bit of a distressing experience, though, especially if the imposter posts deliberately nasty content.
Thankfully, there are steps that can be taken to have these evil doppelgangers removed and to protect your online reputation.
Facebook provides a quick way to report accounts that you think are impersonating your own. To start the process, go to the imposter’s account and click on the three dots to the right of the message box in the cover photo section at the top of their page.
A drop-down menu will appear, from which you’ll need to select “Report”.
A new window will appear with three options. Select “Report this Profile” and follow the onscreen instructions. Facebook will then investigate the imposter’s behaviour and hopefully remove their account very quickly. It is also a good idea to change your own profile picture and check the security settings on your account.
If you’ve been a victim of account impersonation on Facebook or any other social media site, then be sure to report it as quickly as possible. Let your online friends know what’s happening, and not to add or interact with this new account, as it is probably a fake.
Fear not, though, these social media giants like Facebook do have safeguards against this sort of identity fakery, so don’t let this turn you off from your own enjoyable experience of using social media.
The safety measures to report these fakes are there for your protection, so don't be afraid to use them.
Article by Evan Burrell