Fake Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Twitter Accounts Create Confusion, Anger
The fake Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Twitter accounts are an ugly attempt to take advantage of the fact that the eyes of the world are on a Boston area-wide manhunt today. At the time of writing, the Boston Police Department is still seeking the 19-year-old alleged terrorist on the run after a late-night shootout with police that left his older brother dead.
People are naturally concerned and want to understand the motives of the two brothers who allegedly bombed the iconic Boston Marathon on Monday. They also want to know what’s going on — and where.
As a result, several people were reporting what they heard on Boston police scanners via Twitter. Boston Police had to ask people to stop risking officer safety by providing the specific addresses, which we all saw tweeted but which I certainly won’t post here.
Although not as dangerous, other people are pulling an even more crass stunt. They’re actually creating and posting fake Twitter accounts, supposedly from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as well as his dead brother Tamerlan. I guess that we’re supposed to believe that terrorists Hootsuite their Twitter posts. Fortunately, the fake Tamerlan accounts have attracted relatively little attention.
One of the fake Dzhokhar accounts is more problematical.
According to Slate, the most popular fake Dzhokhar Tsarnaev account belonged to someone who formerly called himself FootyTube as recently as a few hours before. He changed his name to tweet unhelpful threats like this:
I will kill you all as you killed my brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev #watertown
— Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev (@Dzhokhar_A) April 19, 2013
And he provoked the predictable responses:
@dzhokhar_a @boston_police do u have time to tweet while the police is looking for u, if u did it I hope u go to hell !
— Maryam Al.Sherooqi (@Maryamalsherooq) April 19, 2013
And how about this as a cause worth killing for? Ugh.
Don’t stop retweeting this! this has to change! #America twitter.com/amberxcolon/st…
— Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev (@Dzhokhar_) December 17, 2012
There’s a mix of good official information and complete garbage on Twitter, just as there is everywhere else. Be cautious.
#MediaAlert: WARNING: Do Not Compromise Officer Safety by Broadcasting Tactical Positions of Homes Being Searched.
— Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police) April 19, 2013
#WANTED: Suspect identified as 19 year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev of Cambridge. Suspect considered armed & dangerous. twitter.com/Boston_Police/…
— Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police) April 19, 2013
Honestly, people, if your idea of a good time is to create a fake terrorist Twitter account to waste the time of the police and public alike, get help.
FootyTube, and the rest of you fakes, what do you possibly get out of pretending to be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?
