As Twitter starts gaining popularity, there is no doubt that people are snatching almost every profile names they can think of, be it celebrities, musicians, politicians and even terrorist leaders such as Osama Bin Laden. Before Twitter launches its Verified Account feature which aims to prevent identity confusion, many Twitter users were rather puzzled whether a particular account is genuine or not. As a result, it may leads to a lawsuit against the micro-blogging service and of course the guy who created the fake profile.
Anyway, below are the ‘Top 5 Famous Fake Twitter Profiles‘. Check them out…
1. Tanner Friedman
In a now famous case, Michigan-based public relations firm Tanner Friedman was “branjacked” when it found in March that a Twitter account, under the username @TannerFriedman, had existed for two months without the firm’s knowledge. It filed a lawsuit against the account owner, and, in June, the judge ordered Twitter to reveal the account owner’s IP address. The address was traced back to rival PR firm Marx Layne. Tanner Friedman eventually regained control of the account.
2. Emma Watson
In March, the Harry Potter actress had to deny rumors arising from a phoney Twitter site that she was about to enroll at Yale University. One account, under @mwtsnx, has 113,000 followers and contains regular updates on her favorite music and what she has just had for dinner. Another, under @Emmaawatsonn, has 15,500 followers and claims to be the official page.
3. The Dalai Lama
A Twitter account under the name @OHHDLInfo claims to be the official site of the Dalai Lama – with links to the official webpage. It has over 70,000 followers and publishes weekly quotes from the Dalai Lama.
4. NSW Police
Sydney-based digital marketing agency Mentally Friendly registered a fake account under the username @NSWPolice early this year. The agency eventually revealed itself on its company website in May. The police have regained control of the account.
5. Tony La Russa
The manager of the Cardinals, the US baseball team, sued Twitter in May after a user created a fake account under his name and posted offensive messages making fun of La Russa‘s arrest for drink driving. Twitter agreed to pay his legal fees and make a donation to his Animal Rescue Foundation to settle the suit.
Compiled by Debbie Yong, The Sunday Times