People Are Bombarding the Wrong George Papadopoulos With Notifications The most recent instance of social media virality shows why you should always do your research.

By Nina Zipkin

George Papadopoulos | Linkedin

Social media can be a great equalizer. You can use it to connect with customers, fellow entrepreneurs and people who you admire. But there's also a distinct downside to anyone with a Twitter account being able to reach out to you.

On Monday, amid an ongoing investigation, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort and campaign aide Richard Gates were indicted by a federal jury on 12 counts, including conspiring to launder money, acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine, providing false statements and failing to file reports on foreign bank accounts. Manafort and Gates both pled not guilty.

Related: 5 Common Mistakes You Should Avoid When Posting on Social Media

However, it was also revealed that earlier in October, former Trump foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his contact with Russian officials.

This was news that a Michigan-based financial planner and CPA also named George Papadopoulos found out about while he was on vacation, when strangers started contacting him.

While many people took to Twitter to share their opinions with this Papadopoulos, he did receive some support from fellow internet denizens who were lucky enough to be saddled with famous names.

Which is to say, regardless of the situation, if you're going to express your feelings about anything to someone on social media, do your research and due diligence. You don't want to disturb what could be an unassuming financial planner just trying to have a nice trip to see his family.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

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