key: cord-0070950-s7pzwxv0 authors: Margulies, Ilana G.; Song, David H. title: Instagram Impersonator: Tale of Caution for the Plastic Surgeon and Trainee date: 2021-05-13 journal: Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000003298 sha: b3305a2b31a9727b7d31c78f62f6305f9fb779c3 doc_id: 70950 cord_uid: s7pzwxv0 nan Ilana G. Margulies, MD, MS; David H. Song, MD, MBA "D id you make another Instagram account?" A coresident messaged me. "No," I replied, "Why do you ask that?" I quickly typed my name into the Instagram search bar only to find that I had seemingly duplicate accounts: one was the account that I regularly used to engage with plastic surgeons and trainees from all over the world, and the other was an account created 9 hours ago, using my name and a username with a one-letter difference, the same bio, and identical photographs. The impersonator had followed many of my colleagues, and some had started following back under the impression that it was me. I immediately reported this incident to Instagram, and I created a story alerting my followers of the impersonator and encouraging them to report it as well. I also learned that using this account, the impersonator had private messaged 2 of my peers from other residency programs and engaged them in conversation by pretending to be me. Less than 24 hours after reporting the incident, Instagram deleted the impersonator account. Instagram has become one of the most highly used social media platforms among plastic surgeons and trainees. 1 Particularly, as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited in-person interactions, Instagram has been fundamental in connecting the plastic surgery community through initiatives, including the Plastic Surgery Research Council virtual research presentations, The American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons mediated residency applicant initiatives, and informal mentorship interactions. Although the importance of acting in an ethical and professional manner on social media has previously been described, 2,3 little has been reported regarding Instagram impersonation, which is the creation of an account without one's consent that uses one's name, bio, and photographs. Although the frequency that this occurs is currently unknown, it has happened to several of the authors' colleagues across medical subspecialties and should be considered as a possibility when managing an Instagram account. The authors encourage routine monitoring of one's online footprint to promote early detection of impersonation on Instagram and other social media platforms. This can be done by regularly searching oneself on Google and social media to monitor for the existence of impersonator accounts, and encouraging colleagues to be suspicious upon seeing seemingly duplicate accounts created for the same individual (unless they were meaningfully created for distinct personal or professional purposes). For further account authentication, one can apply for verification through the profile settings tab, which results in the appearance of a blue verified badge on one's profile page. In the event of impersonation, one should first promptly report the incident to Instagram through the application or online form, and create an Instagram story to encourage colleagues to do the same. This will also serve to warn others to block that account if it engages with them through a follow request or private message. Instagram monitors incident reports and is known to act swiftly to investigate and remove impersonator accounts, which violate their community standards. Thus, while Instagram serves as a valuable resource, it is important to recognize the imperfections inherent in social media and remain vigilant regarding one's online presence. The authors hope that this tale of caution, along with these instructions on early detection of impersonation and steps to take if one is impersonated, will be useful in ensuring professional and productive social media use. Current trends in the use of social media by plastic surgeons Conceptualizing professionalism in social media: a framework for evaluation Tips and pearls on social media for the plastic surgeon The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.