If something seems strange and gives you a bad feeling in the gut, listen to that warning. This is especially the case if you get messages from people pretending to be My Peak Challenge or Sam Heughan.
Fake Twitter accounts are rampant. While many are created to troll, others are created as scams. It’s the latter in recent days when it involves Sam Heughan and My Peak Challenge. Twitter users have reached out to the charitable organization and the actor to confirm that private messages they’ve received are definitely scams.
Users have received private messages from scammers pretending to be Sam Heughan. Many Outlander fans and Peakers (the name given to those taking part in My Peak Challenge) have fortunately reached out to double check if these private messages are genuine or not. The team behind the MPC Twitter account has reached out publically to say that the @SamHeughan16 account is definitely a fake one. Heughan and the charity won’t reach out to individuals privately for donation requests.
What to do when you spot a fake account
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When you think you’ve found a fake account, always check out the tweets posted. Most will be very new accounts and have little information. They’ll usually use a photo of the celebrity to make it look like the real deal and may have the odd retweet or update to try to pass as genuine. The majority don’t even bother with that!
One of the tell-tale signs for many is the lack of verification. This isn’t always a sign as not all celebrities have been verified, but when it comes to Heughan and My Peak Challenge it is definitely a sign that it’s a fake account as both have been verified and have the blue ticks.
It's a fraudulent account. Please block and report. Neither MPC nor its principals would ever reach out directly to request donations. https://t.co/0WSmsE7Bmm
— My Peak Challenge (@MyPeakChallenge) June 25, 2018
Once you spot a fake account, report it directly to Twitter. Unfortunately, Twitter hasn’t always taken active steps to get rid of Twitter accounts–this is something Supernatural‘s Fredric Lehne has found recently–but multiple people reporting the same account for fraud and scams should lead to removal. The user that messages people yesterday has since been removed, so there’s hope in that.
It’s also worth blocking the account. This stops them from reaching out to you again.
Next: Why Sam Heughan deserves an Emmy nod after Outlander Season 3
Have you been messaged by a fake account? Did you see My Peak Challenge’s warning? Share in the comments below.
Outlander returns in November. Like Claire and Jamie on Facebook for more updates.