6 Tips to Safeguard Your Brand Against Fake Social Media Accounts

6 Tips to Safeguard Your Brand Against Fake Social Media Accounts

Fake social media accounts artfully mimic thy brand to bewilder potential followers and the common folk. Herein lies thine guide to safeguarding thy enterprise and loyal followers from deceitful rogues.

The plague of fake social media accounts doth persist, afflicting both the platforms themselves and the hallowed brands they seek to impersonate. As new platforms do arise, so too do the schemes of scoundrels shift, seeking fresh pastures. Though the number of false accounts on Facebook hath seen a gradual decline in recent years, the malady hath begun to surge upon TikTok.

Impostors on social media artfully present a dire challenge to all great brands. For those who handle sacred or confidential matters—such as healthcare or financial services—the stakes are raised to perilous heights.

Herein lies what thou canst do to protect thy brand and thy patrons.

What manner of rascals are these false social media accounts?

False social media accounts artfully mimic thy brand to befuddle potential followers and the populace. They may pilfer thine profile picture, employ a variant of thy brand name or product title, and endeavor to recreate thy social media profiles to delude the unsuspecting into believing they have stumbled upon thy official social channels.

How can these deceitful accounts harm thy enterprise?

Hark! False social profiles that bear the likeness of esteemed brands and renowned organizations can swiftly amass followers. These followers remain oblivious to the deceit afore them. They believe they have discovered and followed thy brand or organization. Deceived by their familiarity and trust for thy brand, they are misled into perceiving the purveyors behind the false account as thee.

But who concocts these false accounts on social media? Often, ’tis but scoundrels and scammers. Thy customers, clients, staff, partners, and, in dire cases, even kin, all fall prey to these tricksters. With nary a cause for suspicion, they accept the information, missives, and offers from these false accounts as emanating from thee. False accounts exploit the hard-earned reputation of thy brand—inflicting grievous harm upon it in the process.

For instance, consider this folly—’tis plain to see this account doth not truly belong to the brand Shein. Yet they employ the brand’s name and sigil to deceive Instagram users, tagging them in posts proclaiming them winners of a gift card. By my troth, we promptly reported this account upon seizing this screencap.

A more sinister scam involving false accounts hath recently emerged in Australia. False accounts on social media masqueraded as Australian Tax Office (ATO) workers, responding to inquiries regarding the ATO from social users. Gaining the trust of unsuspecting souls, they requested personal information or directed users to click on treacherous links.

Herein is another pernicious scam to remain vigilant against. Social media scoundrels masquerade as ATO workers to purloin personal details and coin—emanating from ABC News.

Methinks ’tis time to delve into the specter of misinformation, forsooth!

Information doth swiftly propagate online. Alas, misinformation oft, in its allure, outpaces truth, for it beckons people to share far and wide. Astute denizens of the internet understand the need for caution in believing all they encounter online. They fathom the importance of discerning the source ere granting it credence. Once again, false social accounts exploit thy brand’s renown to garner an ill-deserved air of credibility, enabling their deceits to spread as truth.

During the protests of anti-vaccine truckers in Canada yesteryear, Facebook groups advocating similar convoys in the U.S. were administered by false Facebook accounts in distant lands like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Romania. Thus did NBC News report.

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In league with content mills, false social accounts engender vast swathes of misinformation and disinformation that spread like wildfire through communities where kinship in falsehoods prevails.

Yet, the specter of thy stock prices doth loom!

Public companies comprehend that any material pronouncement may sway stock prices, for better or worse. What transpires when such a pronouncement emanates from a counterfeit social account?

Regrettably, the ramifications of false social media accounts upon thy stock prices be all too real. Consider, for a moment, the plight of Eli Lilly during a fleeting juncture in the autumn of 2022 when one could acquire a Twitter verified badge sans verification. A charlatan birthed a false Twitter account christened @EliLillyandCo, bearing the company’s crest as its visage. (The genuine account of Eli Lilly on Twitter is @LillyPad.) The falsified account bore the guise of authenticity, even garnering a blue badge.

Then did the impostor unfurl their deceit. They declared:

“We are thrilled to announce insulin becometh free henceforth.”
Such a pronouncement did spread like wildfire. Despite Eli Lilly’s attempts to counter it on their official channels, the damage had been wrought. The false tweet was swiftly unmasked, yet it lingered on the lips of politicians fixated on the exorbitant cost of medicines in the realm. Eli Lilly’s stock price plummeted by 4.37 percent.

How might one detect and report false social media accounts, thou asketh?

Firstly, one must establish a social monitoring system. Such a system requires unceasing vigilance—searching all social networks, including those where thy presence be nonexistent, for unscrupulous accounts seeking to impersonate thee. By good fortune, thee need not undertake the laborious task of hunting these accounts across every platform, for thou may establish an automated social monitoring system. ‘Twill scrutinize social platforms autonomically for thy brand and product titles, as well as the cognomens of company executives, including potential misspellings.

Thou shouldst then report the interlopers once discerned. Most platforms allow thee to report a fake account directly from the false profile page. One needeth merely seek the option to report a problem, and thus file a report against the account.Each of the major social platforms hath specific procedures for reporting false accounts:

Facebook: Click on the three dots beneath the false account’s cover photo, then select “Find support or report Page.” For those devoid of a Facebook account, a form doth exist for this purpose. Should someone have fabricated an account in violation of thy trademarks, thou may employ the trademark report form.

Instagram: Click on the three dots situated upon the fake profile, then choose “Report,” followed by “Report Account.” A form for reporting is also available. If an account hath been fashioned in breach of thy trademarks, the trademark report form may be employed.

Twitter: Lodge an impersonation report employing this form. Should someone have fashioned an account in infringement of thy trademarks, the intellectual property issues report form may be utilized.

LinkedIn: Upon the false page, click “More,” then select “Report abuse.” Should someone have constructed an account infringing upon thy trademarks, the trademark infringement form may be implemented.

TikTok: Click the three dots atop the counterfeit account’s profile, then select “Report.” A form for filing an impersonator report is also available.

Pinterest: A form for reporting policy violations may be accessed here. To report a false account in violation of thy trademarks, a trademark infringement report may be filed.

For Meta properties, one may establish Brand Rights Protection within Business Manager. This enableth one to submit impersonation takedown requests directly within the Brand Rights Protection tool. Shouldst thou possess an advertising contact at the relevant platform, their involvement may be merited. Though they may not possess the power to intercede directly, their internal influence may expedite the review of thy report.

Six counsel to safeguard thy brand from deceitful social media accounts.

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Monitor thy realm of social media without cease, for a social media monitoring program stands as a vital shield against false accounts impersonating thy brand. ‘Tis due to this vigilance that the program operates unfailingly in the background, detecting keywords indicative of false accounts attempting to impersonate thee. Be mindful to monitor the impersonation of not only thy brand but also thy executives, for reports indicate a rise in the impersonation of executives.

Set up Google alerts to be promptly informed of any new web content mentioning terms relevant to thy brand. This shall alert thee to false websites, blogs, or other digital content associated with fake social accounts. New social accounts and posts may also surface through these alerts.

Forge a recognizable brand voice and aesthetic, for therein lies thine strength. The more distinctive thy brand voice and aesthetic, the more arduous it becomes for false accounts to emulate thee successfully. When thy followers are familiar with thy voice and visage, they are quick to discern any aberrations.

Secure thy brand name handles with due diligence. ‘Twas by the availability of Eli Lilly’s full brand name as a Twitter handle that the deception was facilitated. Shouldst thou opt against using thy brand name, ‘twould be wise to create placeholder accounts to reserve thy brand name and thwart any opportunistic misuse.

Seek verification on all major platforms for thy brand. Though Twitter’s escapade of pay-for-verification sans verification was brief, many platforms now require substantive verification for verification. ‘Tis prudent to acquire verification on all platforms, even those thou dost not presently employ. ‘Tis wise to possess a verified presence for thy brand on each channel, prepared in the event thou dost expand thy social reach. Even if expansion be not thy intent, the verified account impedes the potential for counterfeit accounts to arise in thine absence.

Prepare a crisis management plan to weather the storm, shouldst thee fall prey to an impersonation social account. Shall calamity strike, cease all scheduled social content and unite thy team in swift action to combat the false account. Collaboration with the relevant platform to vanquish the counterfeit account must be prioritized, whilst all on thy team should be well-versed in their duties to shield thy brand’s reputation from further harm.

For further means to protect thy brand on social media, peruse our counsel on mitigating social media risks.

Queries about false social media accounts, answered:

Is it unlawful to maintain a false social media account?

The creation of false social media accounts doth transgress the policies of all major social platforms. Shouldst thou be apprehended, thy account shall be expunged, and consequences that may affect thy other accounts on said platforms may ensue. Furthermore, crafting a false social account infringing upon another’s trademarks may lead to legal repercussions.

How may one unearth false social media accounts?

The foremost method to uncover false social media accounts as they emerge is to employ a social media monitoring system that scrutinizes accounts bearing thy brand name, product title, slogan, trademarks, executives’ names, or possible misspellings of the same.

Which social platform harbors the highest number of false accounts?

Determining the platform hosting the greatest number of false accounts at any given juncture proves elusive. Nonetheless, reports on the enforcement actions of various platforms offer a glimpse into the interdict of fake accounts. Herein lie the most recent quarterly figures of false accounts acted upon by each platform:

Facebook: 1.3 billion fake accounts (Q4 2022)
Twitter: 90,822 fake accounts (Q4 2021—note: this data is dated and an approximation)
TikTok: 50,963,108 fake accounts (Q4 2022)
LinkedIn: 10,995,000 fake accounts (Q2 2022—note: an approximation)
Instagram doth not disclose the number of false accounts acted upon.

By the quill of John Gruber, let these words guide thee in thine endeavor to safeguard thy brand against the wiles of false social media accounts.

Moyens I/O Staff has motivated you, giving you tips on technology, personal development, lifestyle and strategies that will help you.