Shah Rukh Khan | Salman Khan | Priyanka Chopra | Poonam Pandey | Kareena Kapoor | Chitrangda Singh | amitabh bachchan SHARE AND DISCUSS Tweet Chitrangada More Pics How do you verify if a tweet-happy celebrity whom you've been following day in and out is actually the real deal? If actor Chitrangda Singh's recent online showdown with model Poonam Pandey is anything to go by - everyone's fake on the micro-blogging site. Chitrangda had recently tweeted, "How do you compete with Poonam Pandey, when she is ready to strip for kabaddi matches?" followed by a jibe, "India won Kabaddi world cup, time for Poonam show." Poonam reacted strongly, tweeting, "Jealousy: That's what makes a b***h talk." When the online sparring came to light, though, Chitrangda was quoted as saying that the tweet originated from a fake account in her name, which incidentally, displays an official tag under her handle.
So, while it may be difficult for followers to tell a fake from an authentic celeb, the question is, what leads someone to fake a celebrity account? Is it the thrill of continuous attention? Or, as Poonam suggests, to settle a personal score? "There are a lot of reasons that may lead someone to encash on a famous name," says Poonam, adding, "But faking accounts can create a lot of enemies in the industry," laughs the 20-year-old model. "It is also a channel for a personal vendetta.
For instance, if someone doesn't like you, he or she may create a fake account to vent their spleen on you," says Poonam. Ethical hacker Ankit Fadia, though, says that pretending to be a celebrity on a micro-blogging site is a pastime.
"There is a fun element in faking an account because there is no way to figure out whether it is a real or fake. Earlier, there was a policy on the site to verify if it is authentic, but that has stopped now," he says.
The reasons, according to Ankit, are manifold. "It satisfies the continuous attention rush, helps in creating more followers for the celebrity.
The fake usually tweets about controversial matters, after which the real celebrity and fans also react. Getting a reaction from a celebrity is almost like creating another war of words," he says.
Industry insiders believe that B-grade actors and wannabe models create their own fake accounts (hire ghost tweeters) to massage their egos. Starlet Veena Malik, the first Pakistani to start trending on the micro-blogging site, puts it down to the "celebrity syndrome".
"People create fake accounts as they get immediate responses. Respondents may share personal details, which the faker may misuse," she says.
Celebs with dubious online identities l Amitabh Bachchan:140 fake accounts l Priyanka Chopra:120 fake accounts l Kareena Kapoor:120 fake accounts l Salman Khan:80 fake accounts l Shah Rukh Khan:75 fake accounts l Aamir Khan: 36 fake accounts l Saif Ali Khan: 35 fake accounts l John Abraham:21 fake accounts
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