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Florida woman targeted online after being mistaken for Russian foreign minister Lavrov’s daughter

‘People wish you to burn in hell, you know, ‘you should be deported,’ ‘let’s take over her apartment and host somebody from Ukraine’

Gustaf Kilander
Washington, DC
Wednesday 16 March 2022 20:09 GMT
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Related video: Lavrov voices hope for compromise as Ukraine faces Russian onslaught

South Florida realtor Ekaterina Lavrova has been abused online by people mistaking her for the daughter of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

The daughter of the longtime Putin associate shares the same name as the Florida realtor.

“It’s not nice to have your picture posted in wrongful content,” Ms Lavrova, from North Bay Village in Miami, told WSVN. “It sounds silly, but like I would never imagine that I would be in a situation like that.”

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she said people on several social media platforms have been targeting her with messages and phone calls, some even going after her real estate business. Her home address has been posted on Twitter.

“People wish you to burn in hell, you know, ‘you should be deported,’ ‘let’s take over her apartment and host somebody from Ukraine,’” Ms Lavrova told the local station. “Every day you think it’s going to get better, it doesn’t stop.”

South Florida realtor Ekaterina Lavrova has been abused online by people mistaking her for the daughter of the Russian foreign minister
South Florida realtor Ekaterina Lavrova has been abused online by people mistaking her for the daughter of the Russian foreign minister (WSVN)

“They make a post on Twitter, on Facebook or on Instagram, and they say, ‘This is his daughter. Let’s go attack her,’” Ms Lavrova, adding that she’s worried about her family’s safety.

“All it takes is one crazy person to come and do something, and God knows what can they do,” she added.

When she contacted Twitter about the abusive posts, she said they told her that they “didn’t find a violation of our rules”.

The Independent has reached out to Twitter for comment.

This map shows the extent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
This map shows the extent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images)

“This is how many people have, you know, spread it,” Ms Lavrova said.

“I have no relation to” Mr Lavrov “and I can’t influence that minister to stop it,” she said.

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