Thomas Gibson recently tweeted a warning that fake Twitter accounts have been set up in his name in an attempt to collect donations. Harry Styles has experienced similar problems. Fans of celebrities like Gibson and Styles should always beware of celebrity counterfeits on Twitter. Look for the “verified twitter account” mark on celebrity tweets and profiles.
Thomas Gibson’s verified Twitter account name is @ImThomasGibson. Harry Styles’ verified Twitter account name is @Harry_Styles, so don’t be fooled by scammers. Scammers and sometimes even predators can create Twitter and other social media accounts that use the name of a celebrity. Other celebrities, including Harry Styles, have been forced to release similar warnings.
Harry Styles’ sister Gemma Styles released a powerful warning early in 2017 according to The Sun , explaining that someone had set up a fake Harry Styles account that was preying on young girls. This situation is more common than one might think.
The real Thomas Gibson is not soliciting donations according to his tweet below. Similarly, the real Harry Styles will not ask for nude photos. Harry Styles doesn’t want young girls slipping out of their houses to meet him alone somewhere either. These kinds of requests should be red flags to fans.
The real Thomas Gibson has 35.5K followers. This is a clue that this is the real Thomas Gibson, not a fan site or a scammer. Note the verified Twitter account mark next to the name Thomas Gibson. Other people who are named Thomas Gibson or who are fans of Thomas Gibson will not have this mark.
Thomas Gibson tweeted this warning to let fans know they should be cautious.
Hi everyone…apparently someone is establishing copycat accounts and soliciting for “charitable donations”…this is NOT me. Trying to get these accounts taken down. Pls let me know if you’ve seen any… #scammers
— Thomas Gibson (@ImThomasGibson) December 11, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zKaur3T9AU
Harry Styles has 31.5M followers. Another Harry Styles account, for example, full of Harry Styles photos can be found with less than 3,000 followers. This is apparently a fan site. This is not the real Harry Styles.
It isn’t too unusual for fans to include the name of their favorite celebrity or TV character in their Twitter name, and there are fan club accounts that may incorporate the name of the celebrity like Harry Styles or Thomas Gibson. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as their profiles make it clear these are fan accounts and not the actual celebrities. Most of these do not attempt to impersonate celebrities, but celebrity impersonators can be found.
Thomas Gibson’s Twitter page is a verified account as is Harry Styles’ real account. A blue circle with a white check mark inside next to the name indicates a verified Twitter account. Even this, however, can be faked. Proper placement of the verified account check mark is vital to identifying a real verified account. It also does not change color with theme preference.
As Twitter’s Help Center explains, the placement of the badge next to the name is vital to recognizing a verified account.
“Accounts that don’t have the badge next to their name but that display it somewhere else, for example in the profile photo, header photo, or bio, are not verified accounts.”
Thomas Gibson is working to keep his fans safe. Most celebrities try to expose counterfeit accounts, and fans should too. Just as Harry Styles’ sister Gemma Styles alerted fans to the dangers of fake Twitter accounts, Thomas Gibson is also asking all fans to report if they are approached by fake Hotch.
Thomas Gibson, Gemma Styles, and Harry Styles are concerned about fan safety and urge fans to look for verified Twitter accounts.