Tech & Biz

List of Fake Iran Election Accounts on Twitter

by Jarrett Martineau | June 18, 2009 at 03:44 pm

391 views | 43 Recommendations | 4 comments

Pro-democracy activists dedicated to promoting change and raising awareness online about the disputed Iran Elections are facing an overwhelming onslaught of information through social media sites like Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube.

Unfortunately, despite optimistic uses of the internet to disseminate tactical information such as the Iran Elections Cyberwar Guide and Anonymous Iran, the sudden spike in Iran interest has also given rise to a new breed of 'news spammers' and potential government-affiliated censors-in-hiding who have attempted to capitalize, maliciously, on the digital chaos and confusion.

NowPublic member Pythiian1 directs us to Twitspam, a site dedicated to seeking, destroying and blocking Twitter spammers.

The site has posted a current list of "possible fake" Twitter accounts that "may have connections to the Iranian Security apparatus".

So be careful what you re-tweet — and be vigilant in avoiding Iran-related spam and disinformation.

List of Fake Iran Election Twitter Accounts

Obvious Disinfo

http://twitter.com/Persian_Guy (Using fake RT to spread disinfo) DOING IT AGAIN

http://twitter.com/THRONCOMMERCIAL (Using the Iran tag to spam)

http://twitter.com/EranSpahbod (preaching attack and violence) New

http://twitter.com/AhmediNejThief (Re-tweeting Persian_Guy’s tweets only) New

http://twitter.com/AhmediNejSucks (Copycat account of AhmediNejThief) New

http://twitter.com/AhmediNejScum (Copycat account of AhmediNejThief) New

http://twitter.com/AhmediNejFucked (Copycat account of AhmediNejThief) New

http://twitter.com/serv_ (posing fake RTs; disinfo)

http://twitter.com/twitrevolution (Suggesting violence towards police and blocking of roads; such actions are likely arrestable. Either provocateur or someone really violent)

Suspected

http://twitter.com/coolproxies (Sending our IR proxy list. Possible fake, trap) NEW!

http://twitter.com/entropy130 (Same tweet over and over, false link) NEW!

http://twitter.com/ememem90 (False information in poorly written English) NEW!

http://twitter.com/FreeMediaNews (Some tweets are fake reports)

http://twitter.com/IRElec (Using entrapment techniques that are well known)

http://twitter.com/lisamforeman (Possibly fake Guardian.co.uk account)

http://twitter.com/AJE_Producer (Possibly fake Al’ Jazerra Account)

http://twitter.com/_Lady_B_ (posts fake iran election news and then deletes it after it is retweeted.) NEW!

Suspended or removed:

http://twitter.com/am12976

http://twitter.com/iranianfree2k9

http://twitter.com/rWhZEV (Fake Iran Election headlines)

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Paschen

at 16:30 on June 18th, 2009

That was to be expected in view of all the Spam we have as is.

It is the greatest weakness of the the new social information network.

This may cause sites like Twitter more harm in the long run then good.

Pythiian1

at 17:03 on June 18th, 2009

Thanks for this piece, Jarrett.

Swage Machine (not verified)

at 02:00 on June 19th, 2009

There are many spammers that can't give good cause in many sites, and they can destroy it, and also those who post it like this fake election in Iran has to be banned so he cannot do it again in your page.