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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to feel paranoid about this Instagram account?

16 replies

Nostubbs · 07/03/2022 10:53

I have a reasonable following on my public Instagram, a couple of thousand people and some 'known' followers.

My close friend told me a couple of weeks ago that she was struggling with Instagram and comparing herself to others so she was going to delete her account. We would speak every day but she went a bit quiet and I decided to give her a bit of space and not push the issue.

Yesterday DD (15) told me she had a follow request from my friend. DD knows her well and loves her but had been on the previous account so thought it was odd enough to mention. She accepted her. I didn't have a new follower on my public or private account and when I searched her new username- there's nothing there. I'm blocked.

DH then checked his follower requests and she's requested him. Same with DS (13). Her follow list was public so I had a look on DH's phone and this new account seems to be following everyone I know. People I know through work, old school friends (we didn't meet at school and she doesn't know them), musicians that I like, my sister.

She hasn't posted anything and its under her name with her profile photo but it looks like she's trying to clone my account and has blocked me from seeing it.

How do I bring this up without sounding completely paranoid?

OP posts:

Sparticuscaticus · 07/03/2022 11:38

Firstly if this is an adult, your DCs don't follow them. My DCs only follow close adults like close aunties or uncles and not friends and I don't accept requests from my friends DCs either

Secondly is it obvious this IG account is this friend on it with her name (?) or is it pretending to be you and copying your IG content ?
You can alert your friends - old school friends etc and wider family by IG message that this IG account isn't yours and you aren't sure who it is.
The friend will be posting her own IG posts so if she starts copying content i think you can report it to IG ?

It does sound strange that she blocked you but wants your DH and DCs to follow her. Get them to unfollow

Original poster

Nostubbs · 07/03/2022 11:45

@Sparticuscaticus

Firstly if this is an adult, your DCs don't follow them. My DCs only follow close adults like close aunties or uncles and not friends and I don't accept requests from my friends DCs either

It does sound strange that she blocked you but wants your DH and DCs to follow her. Get them to unfollow

She is very close to my DC and they're close to hers as well. I have no problem with them being in touch on Instagram but I do monitor who my DC follow and know their passwords so I can look at their accounts if needed.

Yes, it's her full name on the account and it's a recent photograph of her that I haven't seen on social media before. She's wearing something she bought when out with me a couple of weeks ago.

OP posts:

BowerOfBramble · 07/03/2022 12:04

Just ask her - I tried to follow your new account and I can't! She's your close friend, you say, surely she'll reply? If she's weird about it, you've learnt she's up to something!

hawkinspawkins · 07/03/2022 19:56

How strange

Is she conducting some kind of Wagatha Christie investigation on you?

VainAbigail · 07/03/2022 20:01

Yeh get your husband and kids to unfollow her. And your sister. Sounds really sus to me, op.

Sparticuscaticus · 08/03/2022 00:13

Ok so OP, whether your teens are friends with her or not, do you have concerns about them following her IG account?

You seem to feel a bit understandably perplexed why she has blocked you. My teen DCs do not follow any IG account of my adult friends that I don't or can't follow. That's the Hinky bit, that she has blocked you!

So mine would unfollow her until we worked out why. If she's fallen out with you then she doesn't get to link up on sm with your minor children!! It's ok to be "team family" first and foremost, as you are their protection. Your DH can do what he wants as he's an adult.

SleepingStandingUp · 08/03/2022 00:24

Agree just ASK her.
Hey Mary, Jenny said you'd gone back in Instagram but I can't find you. Will you send me a "whatever it is you need her to send" so I can follow you again?

Chocolattay · 08/03/2022 00:31

This is strange. She may be embarrassed about not having many followers so I just trying to follow as many people (who show up in ‘people you may know’ as possible hoping they follow back? But having realised they are all known by you she has panicked and blocked you?

Chocolattay · 08/03/2022 00:33

Then again you say she is close to your DC so it doesn’t make sense.

She is being creepy. I’d ask an innocuous question that drops her in it.

downbad · 08/03/2022 00:35

Are you sure it’s definitely her and not a bot? Like those fake Facebook profiles that have someone’s picture and add all their friends

Chocolattay · 08/03/2022 00:42

@downbad

Very good point. It would make sense for this account to have OP blocked in this case. These bot accounts can be very clever these days.

It may start claiming to be you and ask your DC’s accounts for money etc.

LemonJuiceFromConcentrate · 08/03/2022 00:45

Makes no sense, how weird. I’d have to bring it up, face to face at what feels like a natural moment (when your phone happens to already be in your hand).

“Oh btw, dh and the kids said you’re on Instagram again? Hope you’re feeling better about it. Shall I add you just now?” (Friendly expectant look)

cuno · 08/03/2022 00:48

@downbad

Are you sure it’s definitely her and not a bot? Like those fake Facebook profiles that have someone’s picture and add all their friends

This is what I was thinking as well.

Konyeshno · 08/03/2022 00:51

This happened to my business IG and Twitter accounts 8/10 years ago, done by a new to market competitor. She was a deranged stalky bitch to be honest. It's a software you can buy to scrape other people's follower lists and auto follow them indiscriminately, which is how they end up requesting people that have nothing to do with it, e.g. my DB never used IG, had two followers, me and her. I assume the same software also blocks people after scraping their lists, the same happened to my business account.

The fact she's bought the software suggests that the competition she saw on IG was you, and she's actively trying to outgrow your IG presence for some reason.

Suzi888 · 08/03/2022 00:52

How old are you both .

VereeViolet · 08/03/2022 11:46

Sounds like she already told you the reason. Comparisons are making her feel bad about herself. Your instagram feed is triggering the comparisons so she is blocking you.

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