Twitter falls for a fake Cormac McCarthy account, again

Fool Twitter once with a fake Cormac McCarthy account, shame on you; fool Twitter twice with a fake Cormac McCarthy account… well, maybe the social media platform will understand that the famed author is most likely not going to create an account. The Twitter verification system was duped once again by a McCarthy wannabe after amassing thousands of views and followers for tweets that were all fake musings from the account pretending to be The Road and No Country For Old Men author. The imposter sent those tweets under the username @CormacMcCrthy.

“My publicist is on my case about my infrequent use of this infernal website,” the fake McCarthy wrote in a tweet. “He says engagement is down and so are metrics and something something who cares. There I wrote a tweet. Are you happy now Terry.”

While gullible fools like author Stephen King were tricked by this tweet, real McCarthy fans instantly knew something was amiss despite what Twitter claimed. It just takes a quick look at the full Twitter account page to realize it is obviously a parody account. A Pulitzer Prize winner who writes post-apocalyptic tales of brooding and violence would probably not concern themselves with critiquing kombucha or having their feelings hurt by a fortune cookie. The @CormacMcCrthy account has continued tweeting, but it’s clear that Twitter caught their oversight quickly—the parody account is no longer verified.

This is not the first time Twitter has verified a fake McCarthy account. In 2012, a Scottish writer by the name of Michael Crossan created a fake account for McCarthy that also received the blue check of approval and gained the attention of novelists like Margaret Atwood. Once it was revealed that Crossan was behind the account, Twitter completely removed his digital impersonation.

The real McCarthy, a reclusive 88-year-old, doesn’t even own a computer, much less spend his time twiddling his thumbs for the amusement of Twitter.