Table of contents
How do I protect my business from fake social media accounts? Cybertrace provides social media & online monitoring and protection services.
Fake impersonation accounts can be such a challenging problem to face. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a small or medium business, a global corporation, or even a one-person brand such as a celebrity or influencer. No matter your size, having any fake, scam, or impersonation social media accounts out there is damaging to you and your brand’s reputation.
What is the real cost of fake social media accounts?
Many business owners probably don’t fully understand the impact and damage that fake social media accounts are having on their business. Only a small fraction of people who have been scammed or misled by a fake account will contact the business and report the social media account.
Clients and customers are regularly scammed by fake social media accounts. Often these impersonation accounts aim to scam the victim of their money, but sometimes these accounts aim to collect personal data or even simply damage the reputation of the business they are impersonating. If a customer loses money to a scam account, then they are unlikely to visit the real business to make an online purchase.
Your Business’ Reputation is at Risk
Even customers who don’t actually lose money or release personal details but still encounter a fake impersonator are left with a bad taste in their mouths. If you’re like us, you’ve worked very hard for many years to build your company’s reputation. Cybertrace is a leading cyber investigations company and whilst we offer a range of services, such as online monitoring and protection services, background checks, and due diligence, we also specialise in fraud and crypto scam investigations. As one of the most trusted investigation firms, we are impersonated by scammers almost daily. They leverage our good reputation and contact victims of an existing scam, saying they are from Cybertrace and can help to get their money back. After years of our team doing all we can to combat cybercrime and protect people online, we have the following false review published on Trust Pilot for our business:
As we told Huibert, we have never contacted him before! But despite us telling him this, our reputation is still tarnished and people could be reading this review and think we are persistent scammers. The real cost here is our reputation is damaged, we have likely lost business and poor Huibert thinks we are not genuine.
Who needs online and social media monitoring and protection services?
Almost everyone is susceptible to being targeted. And the internet is a harsh, generally unpoliced place. It is just too easy for fake websites and social media accounts to pop up, impersonating people, groups, and businesses. Celebrities and influencers are also heavily targeted. Let’s look at the famous singer, Ed Sheeran for example. A quick Facebook search shows that Ed Sheeran seems to have many Facebook profiles. One of these Eds is even involved in “Gold Forex Trading”.
No doubt the identified Ed Sheeran Facebook profiles are not the real individual. However, some people lack the knowledge to identify fake profiles and Cybertrace has even been contacted by victims of fake Ed Sheeran Facebook profiles. The real Ed Sheeran is of course not behind these scams, but the existence of fake accounts isn’t positive for his reputation. As a celebrity, online personality, or influencer, you are your brand’s reputation and it needs to be protected!
How to protect myself and my business online
So, how do I protect my business from fake social media accounts? Cybertrace offers the most comprehensive solution available. We scan for websites, domains, and across all social media platforms to identify impersonation and fake social media accounts. Once fake accounts or clone websites are identified, we have the means to quickly have them neutralised. Your business or online reputation will be protected through the most preventative measures possible, instead of just reactive. For example, we often find clone accounts before the offender even manages to publish content or gain a follower.
Get Professional Help
Never have a customer get duped by a fake account again and ensure that you’re not losing business to fake online accounts that damage your reputation. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist you and your business.
