What To Do When Someone Is Impersonating You On Twitter

Let’s face it, sometimes you are doing such a great job in your business that someone else feels the need to copy you.  I am sure this happens to you in many ways, even if you don’t realize it.  Maybe it is the way you do business, how you dress, the words you use – those little things that make you, you.

But, what happens when imitation is NOT the sincerest form of flattery? Did you know that someone can copy your identity on Twitter?

It has happened to a few great Twitter peeps that I know, like and trust.  It happened to @CariCole last year, and the person who impersonated her was broadcasting very disrespectful tweets regarding her industry. This posed a serious problem for her as they were using her name, photo and bio. They even linked to her website, making the situation all the more problematic for Cari.

It has also happened to Samantha from @StarfishEvents and, most recently to one of my very own clients @MarleneKeys, a Law of Attraction trainer.

You can see in the image below (click on the image for a larger view) how this Twitter impersonator has set up a Twitter account and is using Marlene’s photo, bio, even the Twitter handles of people that Marlene actually knows, and is now impersonating the real Marlene Keys.

The great thing is, when you have built up a community on Twitter, it doesn’t usually take long for someone to notify you that this is happening. Marlene’s friends let her know pretty quickly so she could get a handle on the situation before it spiraled out of control.

The question then becomes how do you stop it?

Twitter makes it easy to Report Violations when this happens to you.

Most people don’t pay attention to the help section on Twitter but they should.  It can be a valuable resource to you.  If this ever happens to you all you have to do is turn to Twitter for help.

You can file a report by visiting Twitter’s File A Ticket page and then clicking on Impersonation.

This page will give you all the details on how to submit a ticket to get your Twitter Impersonation resolved.  It is a simple process and, people I know who have dealt with these situations have had them resolved quite quickly by following the instructions on the Twitter Impersonation page.

Start paying attention to the posts you see.  If you come across a post from one of your Tweeps that seems a little “off”, take a second look and let your friend know. It may not actually be who you thought it was.  Impersonation in real life and on Twitter should never be taken lightly.

Happy and Safe Tweeting! And if we are not connected on Twitter you can follow me @lisalarter.