Instagram gossip site’s horrific blunder over mum who faked her baby’s brain tumour: ‘Shocking’
EXCLUSIVE
A Sydney influencer has called in lawyers after she was wrongly identified as the mummy blogger accused of drugging her baby to fake the child’s brain tumour.
Instagram gossip site Influencers in the Wild, which boasts more than five million followers, falsely named innocent Sophia Begg, 20, in the shocking blunder.
The now-deleted post was live for more than four hours and gained hundreds of comments before it was hastily erased.
But it claimed Begg, known online as Sopha Dopha, was the unidentified woman who has been allegedly poisoning her daughter to gain clout and donations.
‘I was extremely confused why my name was involved as I have nothing to do with the situation,’ Begg told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It’s shocking such a careless mistake could be made and the effects it could have on such a large platform.’
The page, owned by George Resch, who goes by the online name of Tank Sinatra, also incorrectly named Begg’s partner as Jake Golding.
The US-based account alleged the couple’s baby had been the victim of the shocking scam, despite Begg and Golding not having any children.
Sophia Begg has more than a million followers and has no idea why she was named as the mother poisoning her baby
The false incorrect post was online for four hours on Saturday morning before being deleted
Begg has sought legal advice and is worried people may believe the incorrect information
‘Australian influencer Sophia Begg and her partner Jake Golding have been accused of faking their baby’s illness to gain money and sympathy from followers,’ the post read.
‘Their daughter Isla was claimed to have a rare genetic condition called MCADD, but followers and medical personnel noticed inconsistencies in their story and medical details.
‘The couple had received $60,000 through fundraising efforts including GoFundMe.’
Content creator Begg, who has more than a million followers on TikTok, was already aware of the serious accusations against the Queensland mum-of-four.
Police took her child into care as part of their probe into the allegations and her husband branded her a monster online after the claims surfaced last week.
Now Begg fears she will be caught in the angry public backlash over the hoax.
‘People were making jokes about my last name in reference to the situation.’ Begg told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Having such a large Australian following, and that account has a large US following who may not know who I am, this is upsetting that they may think it was me.
The page is owned by well known meme creator George Resch who goes by the name Tank Sinatra online
‘I messaged the account responsible straight away stating that they got the name incorrect and to remove the post,’
However she was outraged by their reply.
She said it simply read ‘Just deleted, appreciate you reaching out, had no idea, going to look back at the original news source.’
Begg has now sought legal advice over the blunder.
‘They attached a news article which did not mention my name or the other name,’ she said. ‘My team is currently in contact with my lawyers.
‘This can be very damaging when media outlets randomly and carelessly publish a name without any justification.
‘Media outlets need to take more care and be held accountable for the damage they can do by this type of careless behaviour.’
Begg made headlines of her own last year at an Australian themed costume party when she dressed as the stingray that killed Steve Irwin.
She later apologised and insisted she loved The Crocodile Hunter and didn’t mean to cause any offence.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Influencers in the Wild and George Resch for comment.
