Scammers steal photos of girl with cerebral palsy to solicit donations

A family has a warning to all parents about the threat of identity thieves targeting your kids.

Maya Tisdale was born with cerebral palsy. The 5-year-old became well known on the internet when her first steps aired on World News Tonight, but now her parents say they're fighting scammers.

The scammers are using photos and videos from Maya's Instagram page to create fake accounts.

"They're trying to scam people by saying this is their daughter and she's ill and they need money for treatment for her," said her mother Ann Tisdale. "Instagram and Facebook have been a wonderful platform for us to share our story and I would hate to see it, I guess ruined by not being taken care of in a way that's appropriate."

The family says they've filed a police report and notified Instagram multiple times. They say it's up to you, as a parent, to be vigilant and aware when posting pictures of your kids.

Instagram encourages users to report fake accounts, but the best way to make your page secure is to make it private.