Recently, Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino changed her user name from @LACohen to @LindaYaccarino. Unfortunately, however, a troll has since been impersonating her on the social media platform, attempting to cause chaos.
Yaccarino, who joined Twitter in early March, isn’t the first public figure to be targeted by online impostors. Recent victims have included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, and rapper Drake.
The impostor first started impersonating Yaccarino by changing the profile picture to a photo of the CEO and by using the same display name as the original account. Under the guise of Linda Yaccarino, the troll has been retweeting and screenshotting tweets from various accounts including Johnson & Johnson and Burger King.
To make matters worse, the troll has even gone as far as to send direct messages to other users, possibly in an attempt to gain access to their accounts. Some of these messages have been edited to appear as if they are from the real Yaccarino, but in reality, they are from the troll.
Luckily, Twitter has since suspended the account impersonating Yaccarino. This step was taken following an official statement from the CEO’s team regarding the matter. In addition, Twitter has also released a statement, reminding users of their policies against impersonating other accounts on the platform. The statement read: “Impersonation is a violation of the Twitter Rules. We remind users of our impersonation policy and encourage everyone to report misleading accounts.”
Although the troll was able to get away with impersonating Yaccarino and wreaking havoc on the platform, Twitter’s quick action was able to prevent further damage from being done. This case should serve as a reminder to other user to take extra precaution when interacting with users online, especially those who may be impersonating public figures.
