An illustration
Offline,
impersonation is a real problem. But as social media becomes
increasingly influential in shaping reputations, it has continued to
have a fair share of the menace. Fraudsters have devised ways to
criminally assume other people’s identities online.
For former President Olusegun Obasanjo,
who has yet to register his presence on Twitter, 19 people are already
laying claims to his identity on the social network.
One of the fake Twitter handles,
@Olu_Obasanjo, gives users no indication that it is a fake account. Its
bio reads, “The official Twitter page for his excellency, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo; the ex-chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, former President
Federal Republic of Nigeria’’ and its location is “Ota-farms, Ogun
State.’’
The account was launched on January 4,
2012, with this tweet, “GEJ (President Jonathan), I want you to get the
real sponsors of Boko Haram.’’
However, it is worthy of note that
those using the identity of the former president on the social service
have continued to fool unsuspecting members of the public as they yearn
to commune with ‘him’ online.
More worrisome is the fact that many of
them may have succeeded in duping unsuspecting members of the public as
some Nigerians flock to the fake profiles seeking employment.
For instance, a Twitter user, Jide Dare,
who described himself as an unemployed Higher National Diploma holder,
reached out to one of the fake profiles, @Chief_Obasanjo, on May 28.
Dare said, “Baba o, emi yin a gun
sir (you shall live long). Please sir, I need your help. I need a job I
possess a Higher National Diploma in Electrical Electronics
Engineering.’’ It could not be ascertained if they had further
discussions via the direct messaging functions of the network.
It was observed that many people have
been deceived into believing that they were communing with the retired
General. A Twitter user, Jimmie Aninege, who might have felt elated by
subscribing to the Twitter handle, tweeted, “Baba, you don come again. Interesting to have you on Twitter, Father of Nigeria.’’
It was observed that the fraudster
usually sent tweets asking followers to feel free to hold conversations
with him/ her on the network. A follower of the fake account once
asked, “When will Obasanjo stop putting on traditional attire and dress
just like Obama in suit? The fraudster replied, “Yes! If corruption is
no longer a cankerworm in Nigeria.’’
Those behind the deception of stealing
the ex-President’s identity online may have created the fake account in
an effort to malign his person.
For instance, a tweet on @Olu_Obasanjo
says, “I never wanted a third term as president; it was just the
handiwork of the devil. GEJ, these people will impede on your success if
you stick to the constitution. Sometimes, when a mess is created it’s
necessary for one to soil one’s hands in order to clean up the mess.’’
The activities of the identity thieves
are no different on Facebook, as tens of profiles bearing Obasanjo’s
name and picture abound on the largest social network. The most popular
of them has over 34, 000 followers.
As identity theft could hurt precious
reputations and damage valuable relationships, the ex-president may need
to consider having an online presence on one or two popular social
networking sites. This could just serve as a defensive mechanism to
prevent pranksters from impersonating him easily as his lovers, who go
online to connect with him, are saved the headache of being hoodwinked
by identity thieves.
Some ex-presidents in other countries of
the world now make use of the social media. On Facebook, for instance,
former American President George W. Bush has a strong presence with over
two million people subscribing to his feeds.
Also, the 42nd President of the United
States, Bill Clinton, tweets via @billclinton, which is separate from
those accounts of his foundation and other philanthropic activities.
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