Fox 29 Warns of Impostor Snow Twitter Accounts
Beware of FAKE accounts pretending to be Fox29. This is the REAL @fox29philly. For ACTUAL closings CLICK HERE: http://t.co/1JsWHq3zIX
— FOX 29 (@FOX29philly) February 6, 2014
There are enough fake Fox 29 accounts misinforming the public about the snow that the station has to warn its followers about it.
A quick search of Twitter reveals the original fake Fox 29 tweet last night to be some sort of amazing high school prank, which warms my heart: There are still wise-asses out there in high school. Our future may not be as bleak as it seems!
Last night, apparently, @david_mcghee9 changed his Twitter display name to Fox 29. The tweet — which, if you didn’t read his Twitter handle, kind of looked like it was coming from the TV station — was retweeted over 200 times. Philadelphia-area high schoolers on Twitter flipped, and eagerly celebrated their impending day off — before quickly recognizing their error.
https://twitter.com/THE_vinstuuuur/status/431263591271264256
This kid made his twitter name fox 29 and tweeted that we had off and I have never felt more betrayed
— mir 🌻 (@mirandamarie_) February 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/CheyenneRenea13/status/431258936130670592
Bahahah just remembered I tricked like 200 people last night into thinking we had off tomorrow
— David McGhee (@david_mcghee9) February 6, 2014
I think it’s higher! Think how many people saw the retweet. Anyway, everyone eventually realized their error, a couple people cursed out McGhee and we’re left with the remnants of an entertaining prank. As high school pranks go, it’s not even all that mean! It might be time to retire the prank after such a successful outcome last night — McGhee tweeted it was the second night in a row he’d fooled people — but who knows: Maybe kids need to keep being reminded to not believe everything they read on the Internet.
