For $8, Twitter Blue users create a wave of checkmarked imposter accounts

And they pay to be an idiot. Reminds me of something that P.T. Barnum said once.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/11/twitter-scammers-use-musks-paid-c...

Twitter has begun rolling out its $8-a-month Twitter Blue subscriptions, complete with "verified" checkmarks for paid users. But the social network is also fighting to suspend a wave of accounts that are exploiting confusion over those checkmarks, imitating major brands and celebrities to spread authentic-looking fake information.

In the video game sphere, fraudulent "checkmarked" accounts appearing Wednesday night included Nintendo of America supposedly showing Mario flipping the bird, Valve supposedly announcing Ricochet: Neon Prime, and Rockstar Games supposedly announcing a new trailer date for Grand Theft Auto VI. In the world of sports, a fake Lebron James claimed he was requesting a trade, a fake Aroldis Chapman said he had re-signed with the Yankees, and a fake version of ESPN's Adam Schefter "reported" on the supposed departure of Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.