The leader of a local megachurch has been cloned on Instagram. Scam artists are using the fake accounts to ask Mt. Zion Baptist Church members for money. So far, Bishop Joseph Walker III said 12 fake accounts have been made using his name and picture.
"These demonic disciples! Who are they? They're coming up like cockroaches," said Walker. "Every time you kill one, another one pops up ya know and the tragic part it's really a threat to your integrity because people who know you who understand you, never ask for money on social media like that."
Bishop Walker said some people gave money to the con artists when they asked to build a ministry to help the poor in Africa.
"I think I had one of scammers actually reach out once I exposed them. They reached out to me and said we're from Africa, we're impoverished, this is what's going on in our country, and I apologize, and I can stop all of it if you just help me... and here we go again!"
The real Instagram account is verified, and he has over 53,000 followers. One fake account had 900 followers, and another one had 200 followers.
"It's just been a real tragic situation and when I look at those pages and I watch the people who follow them, that's what gets me nervous. 200 followers? Who are those 200 people that actually follow this person believing it's me," said Walker.
On average, he has 33,000 members and on any given Sunday, approximately 40,000 people watch his sermons online. He hopes this story warns them.
If you spot one of his fake accounts, he is asking that you report it as spam to Instagram.
