For five months, Grace Wolstenholme attempted to convince Meta to remove the fraudulent page that was copying her posts to make money
A young social media star with cerebral palsy claims Facebook ignored her pleas for action after scammers created a fake account using her content to profit from her followers.
Grace Wolstenholme, 20, who boasts 1.3 million followers on TikTok, says she has lost income since the police advised her to stop posting videos. Her content on TikTok and Instagram was stolen and reposted on Facebook by someone impersonating her.
The fake Facebook account was registered as a creator, making it eligible to receive stars and gifts from fans that can be converted into money.
Facebook compensates creators with $0.01 (£0.008) for every star they receive. Thus, earning 100 stars translates to $1.00. Although each star generates a small amount, it can become a significant source of revenue for those with large followings.
It’s unclear if the scammers received payments through this method, but the fake account has amassed 50,000 followers since its creation.
Wolstenholme spent five months attempting to have the Facebook account removed, reporting it to Meta—the owner of Facebook and Instagram—and Action Fraud, which investigates scams and cybercrime. However, Meta only took down the account on Wednesday, after the Guardian brought it to their attention. Meta did not provide a comment.
Wolstenholme discovered the imitation account and reported it to Meta in January 2024 using the in-app tools. Accounts that impersonate others violate Meta’s community guidelines.
After realizing the fake account was trying to make money, Wolstenholme went to the police in January and again in March. She was advised to report to Action Fraud and take a break from social media. She reported the account to Action Fraud on April 14 this year and received a response a month later, stating that it could not “identify a line of inquiry which a law enforcement organization in the United Kingdom could pursue.”
Wolstenholme said taking time off TikTok “was quite a financial loss.”
She added, “TikTok isn’t just my job; it’s also a way to distract myself from my mental health struggles. I love posting and spreading awareness about cerebral palsy. Despite being a common disability, there is still a significant lack of knowledge and understanding about it. I am passionate about raising awareness of my disability.”
“I did my best to inform people that the Facebook page wasn’t me by posting daily Instagram stories and urging everyone to report the page. I even posted a video on TikTok saying, ‘The Facebook page isn’t me, they’re stealing my content, please report it.’
