Fake social media accounts ‘piggy backing’ off Queensland TikTok mother accused of torturing baby emerge

Fake social media accounts impersonating a Queensland TikTok mother accused of baby torture for online clout have emerged, in what experts say are attempting to “piggy back” off her fame.

Police arresting the high-profile Sunshine Coast mum accused of torturing an infant.

Accounts impersonating a Queensland mother accused of torturing her baby for social media clout have emerged online in an attempt to cash in on her fame.

The fake accounts are trying to exploit the notoriety of high-profile influencers and “piggy back” off their profiles, experts have warned.

In January 2025, a high-profile TikTok mum was charged for allegedly drugging her own baby in an scheme to gain clicks and money from online content.

Police alleged between August 6 and October 15, 2024, the 34-year-old Sunshine Coast woman administered several unauthorised prescription and pharmacy medicines to her one-year-old daughter, without medical approval.

In the latest twist in the case, it appears copycat social media accounts have been created and or reactivated to re-posting old videos of the mother and her family.

There’s been twist in the case against a Sunshine Coast TikTok mum. Photo: supplied

The Courier Mail has identified about six copycat accounts that use the family’s surnames, and images and videos.

Another profile using the mother’s name and photo has been established along with the caption in the profile description indicating it has been reactivated.

The profile has since posted several videos of the family and has hundreds of followers.

The 34-year-old mother cannot be named for legal reasons, but a number of old videos have been re-posted online recently of the family to the account.

In one video the family is on a away on a trip with users commenting that the footage appeared to be old.

Another user commented saying not everyone on social media is what it seems.

In other videos of the 34-year-old the voice overs appear to be distorted.

University of Queensland social media expert professor Stan Karanasios said more than 200,000 fake accounts had been identified on TikTok from March to June 2024, according to recent Statista data.

“It is very likely that number is higher, there is no way of knowing for sure how many fake accounts there are, how many impersonator accounts there are, and how many bot accounts there are,” he said.

Police arresting the high-profile Sunshine Coast mum accused of torturing an infant.

Prof Karanasios said fake accounts are established for a range of reasons but tend to “piggy back” off high-profile influencers to build legitimacy with their followers.

“Sometimes you can create fake accounts and then sell them on to others, but that’s different to impersonating someone’s account,” he said.

“In essence, these platforms are open to these various forms of abuse and manipulation.

“It’s about piggybacking on that person’s legitimacy and that high-profile account to lure people into believing that you are trustworthy and engage in scams and malicious activities.”

Prof Karanasios encouraged users to report impersonator accounts in a bid to stop the spread of “misinformation” and potential for people to be lured into scams.

“Fake accounts are a concern, because often, if they are building a profile of someone who’s not who they say they are. It could be a bot that’s simply doing this to spread misinformation or build a profile, but it can also be people that are trying to scam people or trick people into sharing information, sending money and being scammed in general.”

Cyber expert Professor David Tuffley said the goal of fake accounts was to attract followers quickly, and then to monetize the account through advertising or to sell it on the black market.

“Other times, the aim is to scam followers directly by soliciting donations or investments under false pretences,” Prof Tuffley said.

“There is definitely a thriving black market for TikTok accounts - both real and fake profiles are bought and sold. But it’s a risky business for both buyers and sellers.

“Buyers can find themselves with accounts that are quickly suspended or deleted by TikTok, which actively monitors and acts upon illicit transactions.”

TikTok has been contacted for comment.