As recently as February 2023, the Instagram account @iammadeleinemcann cropped up online. The account, operated by user Julia Faustyna, states, “Help me, I need to talk with Kate and Gerry McCann” in the bio. The account has a designated email address, and a recent post contains contact information for Dr. Fia Johansson under the header “Press & Media Inquiries.” Dr. Johansson, a.k.a. the “Persian Medium” and “Subconscious Mind Surgeon,” is a self-professed “celebrity medium, film producer, master etrepreneur [sic] coach, and keynote speaker,” as her website Persian Medium describes. She’s conducted interviews with Faustyna on Faustyna’s @iammadeleinemcann Instagram account. As for what happened to Faustyna, she simply states that she was in the hands of a “German pedophile,” as the New York Post quotes.
All in all, this isn’t what you’d call legitimate-sounding information. In fact, it sounds very much like a grift. The general public and various media outlets seem divided on believing Faustyna, with users on Instagram posts asking things like, “What if it is her and no one helps her?” Meanwhile, the Mirror states in its headline, “Biometric analysis shows woman claiming she’s Madeleine McCann is not ‘Missing Maddie.'” A “biometric analysis,” by the way, is just a side-by-side comparison of photos. Such photos, showing dimples or dot-sized birthmarks circled by red ink on Instagram, aren’t exactly conclusive. Even at a glance, 7News Australia states that it’s clear that childhood photos of Madeleine and Faustyna look nothing alike.
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If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
