The mayor of Riverdale said someone “hacked” into her Facebook account and created a fake page to solicit campaign funds in her name.
Riverdale Mayor Evelyn Wynn-Dixon, who is running for a third term, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday in an interview at her office that she has never asked for money during any of her mayoral campaigns. The fake site also had the word “politician”- a word she said she would never use to describe herself - under the name “Dr. Evelyn Wynn Dixon.” The page also said she works with a boutique, which she said she does not.
“I have been successful in my bid to hold public office without accepting campaign contributions. I plan to do the same this election cycle,”Wynn-Dixon posted on her real Facebook page. She also asked people who received receive requests for campaign donations in her name to report it immediately.
Wynn-Dixon, known as the “people’s mayor,” said she reported the incident to Facebook and Riverdale police are looking into the matter although the site remains online. While she doesn’t know of anyone who has contributed money she said several people she knows have seen a GoFundMe section involving campaign contributions for her. The GoFundMe section is no longer online.
“The only thing that makes me wonder if people have sent money is because the site has 72 likes,” Wynn-Dixon. “It could have hurt my reputation if some family members hadn’t caught it in time. I just want to let everyone who knows me know I wouldn’t do this.”
“Someone asked me if I think it’s political, I don’t know.,” she said. “(But) the timing is odd. But I can’t prove anything. So I’m just going to say I don’t know.”
Wynn-Dixon noted that other elected officials in Clayton County have had similar incidents happen to them.
“I’m not the only one.”
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