Scammers targeting, deleting LGBTQ+ Facebook pages
LGBTQ+ media outlets and organizations are being urged to stay vigilant following a sophisticated scam that recently compromised Gay Parent Magazine’s Facebook page and attempted to infiltrate the Washington Blade. The scam, which appears politically motivated, involves right-wing actors posing as progressive podcast hosts to gain admin access to Facebook pages, then locking out owners and deleting their accounts.
Gay Parent Magazine, a long-standing publication serving LGBTQ families, announced that its Facebook page with more than 30,000 followers and a five-star review rating was hacked and ultimately shut down in late June. Publisher and editor Angeline Acain believes the attack was targeted and deliberate.
“We have strong reason to believe our Facebook page hacking was politically motivated. We were targeted by people who don’t support LGBTQ parents,” Acain said. “They posed as podcast hosts, invited me for an interview, then used that as a pretense to take over our Facebook page.”
According to Acain, the impersonators claimed to be hosts of a liberal, LGBTQ-friendly podcast and asked her to join a live-streamed Facebook interview. Once she agreed, they manipulated her into providing access, then swiftly deleted the page’s followers before removing the page entirely.
This attack follows a wave of coordinated trolling that began earlier in the year. After hateful commenters swarmed Gay Parent Magazine’s posts, just weeks into the current federal administration, staff spent weeks moderating, reporting, and blocking users.
“We thought we’d gotten past the worst of it,” Acain said. “But this is more insidious and dangerous.”
In response, GPM created a new Facebook page: Gay Parent Magazine-original, and is asking the LGBTQ community to help rebuild its audience.
“We are starting a campaign to rebuild the audience on our new page and are asking the community for assistance. Please help us rebuild by following our new page, writing a review, and spreading the word. We are grateful for any support,” Acain added.
The scam has also targeted at least one other LGBTQ outlet. Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff shared his own experience of nearly falling victim to the same scheme just last week.
In an internal alert email, Naff described receiving a message from someone claiming to be Jennifer Welch of the I’ve Had It podcast — a real progressive show with LGBTQ content. After agreeing to the interview, Naff was invited to a Zoom call for “prep.” On the call, Welch’s camera remained off while a man posing as a technical assistant instructed Naff to log into the Blade’s Facebook admin page and share his screen.
“I became suspicious and declined. I immediately ended the call,” Naff said. “But it was clearly an attempt to gain access. Please spread the word to your teams and anyone else in LGBTQ media that this is a right-wing attack targeting queer media outlets.”
Both Acain and Naff are urging LGBTQ media professionals, nonprofit leaders, and social media managers to be on high alert. The attackers are using real names and brands to build trust and appear legitimate before executing their plan.
Red flags to watch for:
- Invitations to appear on unfamiliar or loosely familiar podcasts, especially via Facebook Live.
- Requests to join Zoom calls with hosts who stay off-camera.
- Unusual tech support instructions asking you to log into Facebook or share your screen during the call.
- Pressure to move quickly or bypass normal security steps.
If you suspect a scam:
- End the call immediately.
- Report the account to Facebook.
- Change your passwords and review your page roles and permissions.
- Notify others in your network and local LGBTQ media.
“This isn’t just about a Facebook page — it’s about silencing queer voices,” Acain said. “But we won’t let that happen. We’ve been here before. We know how to rebuild, and we will.”
For updates and to support the rebuilding efforts, follow Gay Parent Magazine-original on Facebook.
