MANILA, Philippines – Globe’s customer service was hit by an unforeseen setback recently when an impostor Twitter account wove its way into conversations to make life difficult for unsuspecting users.

Globe rolled out a community manager initiative to provide all-day support to consumers through Twitter in late 2012. While the original intent was to allow Globe to “reach out to the customers in a personal way,” according to a company press release, it also allowed less savory individuals to hijack legitimate concerns.

The impostor posed as community manager @PeejofGlobe using @peejglobe, a similar-looking Twitter handle.

Using the false account, the impostor looks for conversations that allow him to insert his false persona. He hijacks the conversation by posting statements that either support or criticize Globe, or point to a competing carrier.

The falsification of these community manager accounts also poses serious implications. As a fake Globe community manager, he can potentially compromise existing Globe accounts by asking for the information of subscribers seeking assistance. All they need to do is supply the fake account with their personal details through private messages.

While Globe does have a verified account in its @talk2Globe handle, Twitter has limitations on verified accounts of companies in a country, thus making it difficult for the company to get the verified status for its new personnel.

Those using Globe’s service will want to make sure they are talking to the right people online by visiting the company’s contact page for more information. Twitter users can visit the official Globe community manager page to follow them as needed. – Rappler.com