Waukesha County Board Supervisor Impersonated On Social Media

WAUKESHA, WI— Waukesha County Board Supervisor Christine Howard received several emails on Tuesday asking if she has messaged friends on Instagram. Howard was sent a screenshot of an account with her picture and name. The fake account had eight followers, two of whom followed her real account.

"I looked at it and said that is my mom and I. They used my name with a slight variation," Howard told Patch.

She added that it looked so similar to her legitimate account.

"People said I was hacked. I wasn't hacked, that was an impersonator," Howard said.

She told Patch she felt violated not only because someone used her information but also because they messaged her friends and contacts.

One of the messages said, "Hello, how are you?" then "I'm doing great and safe, this Corna Virus is really getting crazy though the government are really trying their best because they already roll out a special program which I think you can benefit from too just like I did. Have you heard about it yet??"

Another message talked about a government grant to "fight Corna Virus and for those who need assistance paying medical bills, buying a home, starting a business."

People who know Howard recognized the account wasn't really her. She told Patch she has been getting calls and texts all day.

"Please report and block it. That way we get the imposter off of there (social media)," Howard said.

Howard reported the imposter to Instagram. According to the social media platform, the website said "Instagram takes safety seriously. If someone created an Instagram account pretending to be you, you can report it to us. Make sure to provide all the requested info, including a photo of your government-issued ID." There is a form users can fill out.

The website also encourages users to report if they see someone being impersonated. The same message is for other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. If you see a fake profile account, it should be reported.

"People are reporting them but not blocking these people. When they don't block them, they proliferate," Howard said.

She added people need to share these types of incidents on social media and expose the people who are impersonating others.

Protecting each other

Howard expressed concern for older people who may not realize this is happening or get swindled out of money. Howard shares stories with other members of the Waukesha County Aging and Disability Resource Council.

"This is the stuff they are dealing with," she said.

Howard added one of the highest crime rates for seniors is financial abuse. Financial abuse can come from family, friends but also caretakers and strangers.

"We all know how vulnerable social media can be," Howard said.

She spoke of her 87-year-old mother who almost fell for a scam. Howard's mother was on Facebook when a person pretending to be a friend contacted her. The person impersonating her friend offered her a chance to get a bunch of money but she needed to send $3,000.

"My mom was going to do this," Howard said.

Thankfully Howard's sister spoke to their mom and found out about the plan. Howard visited with her mom and explained it was a scam. They reported it and blocked the person on her social media account.

"We have to be alert about this stuff and expose and report it. It is really important," she said.

Howard added that there are people who will fall prey to it and we have to do our best to protect them.