Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Did Firms Lose Billions Due To Fake Twitter Accounts With Blue Tick? Theories Fly

Did Firms Lose Billions Due To Fake Twitter Accounts With Blue Tick? Theories Fly

Some Twitter users say "policy" tweets by impersonators led to share price fall for major companies; other argue "not everything is about Twitter"
The flood of "verified" blue-tick accounts on Twitter earlier this week — a fallout of Elon Musk's idea of making it available to anyone who pays $8 a month — cost some companies "billions", alleged several industry watchers on the social media platform. They blamed impersonators who used the company name, logo and a similar-sounding handle, got the handle "verified", and then tweeted "decisions" that spooked investors, leading to a fall in share prices.

Many cited the impersonation of US-based weapons maker Lockheed Martin. A handle called @LockheedMartini (notice the extra 'i' at the end) used the name of the company and tweeted: "We will begin halting all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States until further investigation into their record of human rights abuses."

The same day, the company's share price fell 5 per cent on the New York Stock Exchange, with many drawing a link between the false tweet and the drop. "Twitter Blue erased a few billion in market cap for Lockheed Martin," said one user.


But others countered the theory, showing that the defence industry in general was down.


Similar theories went around about medicine maker Eli Lilly, which too lost about 5 per cent value in share price on a day that a parody account with a verification mark said it would provide insulin for free.

But Twitter users argued that there were other reasons behind the fall: "Not everything is about Twitter."


The impersonating accounts were later suspended — like many others — as Elon Musk announced that such accounts should clearly identify as "parody". Quickly thereafter, Twitter Blue was paused, just days after it was launched after Musk took over two weeks ago.

For the record, there was a way to check for authenticity: the "official" tag on such companies' actual twitter accounts. But that tag, too, came and went, and then returned for some, adding to the confusion triggered by Elon Musk's many moves towards his stated target of reducing losses.

Stock market losses or not, companies certainly suffered an image problem.

Pharma major Eli Lilly apologised and clarified that it will not provide free insulin. In this case, another impersonator account, also verified, had tweeted a fake apology too: “We can do this whenever we want and there's nothing you can do about it.” Activists have for years said life-saving insulin should be distributed free of cost.

Activism or political commentary was a running theme. Another since-suspended verified account pretending to be British Petroleum tweeted, “Just 'cause we killed the planet doesn't mean we can't miss it.”

One account even impersonated TeslaElon Musk's automotive company — using a verified handle @TeslaReal, and called its electric cars "the most advanced explosive device in the world". The handle is since back, without those tweets or the blue tick.

Mass layoffs — Elon Musk has let go of half the company's around 7,500 staff — mean it's exceedingly difficult to vet accounts at the time of payment. Hence the pause on Blue until his next move.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
×