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  Debate

Debate

Is Paige Spiranac's scary impersonator incident a wake-up call for better online security measures?

Life online is not as easy as it may seem to most. And Paige Spiranac would agree. When you are in the spotlight, truly, with today’s technology anything is possible. As it turns out, even impersonation is a possibility, one golf diva recently underwent. Although this is not new for her, every time it happens, it truly shakes her.

An unknown impersonator used the retired golfer’s pictures without her consent and edited them. The resultant photoshopped image conveyed an unintended and fake message that Spiranac never originally intended. Revealing the scary turn of events, she shared on X, “Someone sent me this picture that some impersonator sent them. This is honestly so scary! They took a screenshot of a video I did a couple years ago holding a head cover and photoshopped a sign-in.” 

This fiasco even led her to issue a 9-word warning to her fans stating, “Please report and block anyone claiming to be me.” Spiranac also clarified that she is not on any chat apps, and is only available on her verified social media pages, unlike what her impersonators might claim.

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This is not the first time that this apex golf influencer has faced the wrath of cybercrime. Back in 2020, she warned her fans of someone circulating a fake driver’s license with her name and image. The culprit would then proceed to demand money under Spiranac’s name on pretense. This nightmare re-emerged recently when a fan highlighted how they “keep getting” fake images of the same driver’s license from fraudulent accounts.

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Time and again, Spiranac has revealed that the only place to reach her is through her verified social media accounts. But if you want a more exclusive and never-seen-before side of the pro, there’s a way. And no, it’s not her previous exclusive content medium, OnlyPaige.

Stepping away from OnlyPaige, the 31-year-old takes over Passes

What’s your perspective on:

Is Paige Spiranac's scary impersonator incident a wake-up call for better online security measures?

Have an interesting take?

A new subscription site, Passes, will now be your way to get closer to your favorite golf media personality. Per Spiranac, this would be the only exclusive subscription-based site where she will post “multiple times a day.” Declaring her new online host’s onboarding, Spinarac said, “OnlyPaige is done. That would be no longer. This is the new site; everything will now be on Passes. This is a new subscription site; it’s better than ever. So, you will not longer be able to go there. There would be no other exclusive subscription sites. This is the only one I will have.”

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Her move to Passes will not just provide her with a better user experience. But it will also be a carousel for her millions of fans. One can choose from among four subscription tiers. This includes golf content only for $5/month, a par tier for $10/month, a birdie tier for $25/month, and an eagle tier for $100/month.

As you move up the price ladder, doors to a variety of different content will become available to you. An innovative and exclusive take, this might be Spiranac’s new attempt at reclaiming her identity as the social media giant she is.