It’s almost a routine for celebrities to find their identities copied and scattered across the internet. And now, it’s beloved golf star Lexi Thompson dealing with it—again. Earlier this year, she announced her plans to retire from the LPGA Tour’s full season by the end of 2024, and while fans will miss her on the course, her online presence is as strong as ever. She is planning to strengthen her presence as she plans to send personalized messages to fans on Cameo as per their requests, but before that happens, a hiccup has occurred. 

With over 600k Instagram followers, Thompson regularly shares updates of her life with fans, be it her workout regimen or her accolades. But recently, she dropped some serious news with her fans, claiming that there are accounts on the internet that are trying to impersonate her. The 29-year-old is currently recovering from a wrist injury after teeing off at the NW Arkansas Walmart Championship. She took to her Instagram handle, warning, “Hey everybody! I guess the new thing is that people are talking to these fake profiles on Telegram. IT ISN’T ME. I’ve never even heard of Telegram. This is my only page; please don’t fall for these fake pages!!!!”

She even updated her bio with “My only official Instagram account.” While it’s just another repercussion of being famous, her frustration is understandable—especially since it’s not the first time she is going through something like this.

Back in April, Thompson shared that several accounts on the internet were “pretending to be me.” This wasn’t some regular fan page of the golfer; rather, the accounts had some questionable agendas using Thompson’s name. “They’re scamming people or making them think they’re in relationships with me,” said the golfer. She even urged fans to report any such account and strictly urged her community to not engage with them; “Don’t talk to them!”

While social media can be a blessing, it’s also a playground for scammers. So the bigger question is, how do you tell if a celebrity account is the real deal? Well, Paige Spiranac, who has also been a victim to quite scams, once shared with her community how to set her original account apart.

What really makes a celebrity account authentic?

For Thompson and so many other public figures, impersonation is just part of the online reality. Paige Spiranac has dealt with it after a photoshopped image of her went viral. But she didn’t just call it out; she even made sure to educate her fans on how to identify the difference between real and fake accounts.

One of the easiest ways? Check the follower count. As Paige explained, “If a message comes from an account under my name with zero followers, it’s not me—that’s a fake account,” as per the NY Post. She even shared the names of a few sites, where fans should not expect to interact with her. She said, “If this person insists on talking to you on WhatsApp or Google Hangouts, it’s not me.”

Being an avid fan is great, but at the same time, staying vigilant is the key. Look for the blue verified tick next to the celebrity’s name on Instagram; it’s there to help us all spot the real from the imposters. So, next time you scroll, double-check before you follow or message back. Have you ever come across such a fake account? Let us know in the comments below!