The Whiteboard: How to avoid fake accounts on NBA Twitter

Fake NBA Twitter accounts abound during free agency season. Here’s how to avoid them.

Trolls are everywhere on the internet, in many different forms. In times when massive NBA news is expected to break, they can often be found imitating important accounts on Twitter and sharing what is essentially fake news.

Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA’s biggest news-breaker, and as such he’s the biggest target for imitators up to no good. Always be on the lookout for the blue check representing verified status next to any Woj tweet on the timeline. If it’s not there, the tweet is not to be trusted.

Other accounts can be victims of copycats as well. Just minutes ago a fake Bleacher Report tweet “citing” Woj came through my timeline. Again, major reporters and outlets will have the blue check. If it seems fishy, look for the check mark and double-read the @ to look for typos.

Beware of old tweets as well. Years ago, the San Antonio Spurs made a draft day trade with the Indiana Pacers for Kawhi Leonard. The Woj tweet from back then simply says the two teams agreed on a Kawhi deal. It gets re-circulated all of the time. Check the time stamp before sharing any tweets.

The easiest way to avoid all of this deception is to use Twitter alerts for Woj, Shams Charania, Marc Stein, Zach Lowe and other accounts that reliably break news. You’ll be the first to know when something big happens, and you’ll never have to worry about falling for a fake account.

Some real accounts seem to enjoy sharing the old or fake tweets to stir up some drama. Those are bad decisions, especially if a quote tweet is used to make the old events seem current. Journalists like Woj take their credibility seriously, as they should, and they will block offenders if they happen to see them.

Keep it real, NBA Twitter.

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