Collection

Twitter Under Elon Musk: A List of 'Verified' Parody Impersonation Accounts

From LeBron James to the Tesla CEO himself, here's a sampling of celebrities and companies that satirists targeted.

Published Nov. 11, 2022

Seemingly gone are the days on Twitter when a blue checkmark generally meant you're legit.

Before Tesla's Elon Musk bought the platform in October 2022, the site only awarded the verification badge to users who could prove their identity through an application process. But, after an announcement that anyone could simply purchase the label for a monthly subscription of $8, people created numerous impersonation accounts for celebrities, politicians, and companies. The trolls even went for Musk himself.

Here's a running list, which we'll update if, or when, the social media trend continues. (As of the afternoon of Nov. 11, the service for seeking such a status in exchange for payment was unavailable, The Associated Press reported.)

Kari Lake did not tweet that she had conceded to Katie Hobbs on Nov. 11, 2022.
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A parody Twitter account with a checkmark badge pretended to be Tesla to troll Twitter owner Elon Musk.
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A verified Twitter account pretended to be Eli Lilly and said insulin is now free.
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Verified fake Twitter accounts were created for Ben Shapiro, Nintendo, Giuliani, Valve, and Musk.
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Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid did not tweet that he was being traded to the New York Islanders.
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A Twitter account that looked like Adam Schefter and said it publishes parody tweeted that Josh McDaniels had been fired.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives on the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA.
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Jessica Lee is Snopes' Senior Assignments Editor with expertise in investigative storytelling, media literacy advocacy and digital audience engagement.