I'm so sorry these scammers are using my name to victimize people. It is rampant. There are so many duplicate accounts that have stolen my name and photo.

I wrote about this (I'll link it below) to help people know how to navigate this, but here are a few simple tips:

1. Look for badges - scammers will have none. Many of the writers here with large audiences have a verified author badge. (I do.)

2. Click on the profile if you aren't sure. You'll quickly see that they are using fake accounts.

3. NEVER GO TO A SECOND LOCATION. If you get a message asking you to engage via Telegram, WhatsApp, or even email, do not go! That's where they will pounce.

Sorry you went through this but glad you are spreading the word about how prevalent it is!

https://medium.com/liberty-76/a-crash-course-in-spotting-scammers-e1ea2c79d135