Is any of these celebrities trying to hijack your blog?

  • Charlize Theron
  • Rosamund Pike
  • Helen Mirren
  • Marisa Tomei
  • Christina Applegate

These are just some of the famous faces that have been linked to attempts to hack into and take control of people’s blogs. You’ll have to figure out for yourself if any of them are actually trying to take over your blog and what you should do about it.

Why Do They Want My Blog?

When you have a successful blog with a significant audience, it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to come along, grab a piece of that action. In those cases, it’s usually a matter of money – either the person in question wants money to fund their social media or movie career (especially if you’ve made any significant donation to any of their non-profits or charities in the past) or they just want fame. Most commonly, it’s a combination of the two. Money usually isn’t the main issue, though, it’s more about the desire to be in the spotlight and having enough influence to make a difference.

How Do They Try To Hijack My Blog?

There are a few different ways that someone might try to hijack your blog. First, they can try to use fake accounts and spam to promote their products or services. They’ll either try to get you to write about their offering or try to make you join a scammy social media network that they’re controlling (for example, if you’ve ever gotten a phone call or email claiming to be from YouTube and they’ve asked you to create a blog or join a network).

Other times, people will try to befriend you or your staff and get information about your blog. They might try to get you in trouble with your authorities (such as the FBI), try to get you fired, or attempt to blackmail you. In some cases, they’ll even try to get your followers to join their political or social causes. While it’s not always the case, the best defense against this type of attack is vigilance and skepticism. As much as possible, you don’t want to give anyone the opportunity to influence you or your team through friendship or business connections. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground and guard your privacy. If you ever feel like someone is coming on too strong or trying to influence you in an inappropriate way, it might be a good idea to temporarily block or delete their connection on your social media networks.

What ShouldI Do About It?

In general, if someone is trying to take advantage of your blog or brand, your first instinct should be to protect yourself. If you want to maintain control of your blog and brand, don’t give anyone the opportunity to dispute your authority. When someone tries to do this, it’s usually a good idea to notify the appropriate people (such as the police or your lawyer if you’re being threatened). If you have a successful blog with a significant audience, it’s probably a good idea to invest in some sort of blog security system, so that you, your staff, and your blog are always protected.

If someone you don’t know is trying to befriend you or your team and gets too pushy, it’s usually a good idea to be suspicious. Just because someone wants to buddy up to you doesn’t mean that you have to let them into your inner circle.

In terms of what to actually do about the matter, it’s up to you. You have to decide how much you want to risk and what you’re willing to do to protect yourself and your team. If you don’t want to deal with this sort of situation, it’s usually a good idea to close the door on any potential partnerships or job offers until this whole thing is sorted out. In some cases, people have gotten away with this sort of thing for years. Just because they were famous or important enough to get away with it once doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to do it again. At the very least, you’ll be better served by being cautious rather than reckless.

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