876 - Have you been cloned?!

More and more people are being cloned on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media.

Scammers no longer waste their time trying to hack accounts. Instead, they now clone the account by copying all the content and pictures and then creating a new one.

The danger of being cloned is that your good name now looks like you are a scammer.

When scammed, people file complaints to FB, and guess who looks like the bad guy?

YOU

My Facebook account was cloned, but not like the following one. Luckily, I'm not trying to sell anything.

The account pictured is of a friend who, unfortunately, had his settings on PUBLIC. He has been cloned many times.

Thieves have weaponized his cloned account to exploit unsuspecting victims. This led to a barrage of complaints and forced him to deactivate his page.

Yesterday, I noticed I was no longer connected to someone I engage with daily on LinkedIn. I look forward to his insightful posts, advice, and tips on using AI.

When I searched his name, a fake account appeared as a 3rd connection.

He is now contacting LinkedIn to get the situation resolved.

It's a harsh reality but a necessary reminder to prioritize our online security.

Don't let scammers tarnish your good name - take precautions, secure your accounts, and keep those settings private!

Search your name to make sure no one is using your information.

Do you need help with privacy settings on social media and all your smart devices? I can help with that.

Do you have legal protection in the event you are accused of scamming people? I can help with that, too.

Don't wait until it's too late to learn about precautions you could have taken.

Now is not the time to procrastinate.

Have you checked your accounts to see if you have been cloned?