Thread by @marcowenjones

🧵1/ I found 8 accounts posting an identical tweet accusing Ukraine of using a 'crisis actor' during the bombing of Mariupol. (A model acting as if she was pregnant to evoke sympathy after bombing of a maternity hospital) #disinformation #mariupol

2/ They're all posted from strange looking accounts, - sock puppety type accounts. That is, accounts that belonged to someone else but were taken over for other purposes.

See more of the accounts below pasting the identical tweet >

#disinformation
#UkraineUnderAttack

3/ Kind of curious about this one > @JohnOlzard. The photo is of a real person called John Olzard. He's a realtor in Brisbane, and seems to tweet incessantly about crypto now. However, he is now really anti #Ukraine, and pro QAnon conspiracy theories. Is it really his account?

4/ The Internet archive shows he used to his account to post songs (quite nice ones). Seemed to be a pretty chill dude.

Getting some John Mayer vibes from this one >

5/ Some people seemed to notice his account was acting odd. Obsessive crypto posts and a sudden conversion to pro-Trump support prompted people to ask if he had been hacked.

#disinformation

6/ Could this Mayer-esque crooner truly have become a 'truth seeker' who advocates for the death penalty against the Australian government, and seems to believe in every hot conspiracy. He's even got a super creepy banner photo with that distinct nightmarish evangelical aesthetic

7/ His Twitter profile photo is an edited version of a photo from his work website. Note the background change. I don't know if real John did this, or if it was done later. I'm guessing real John did it, as it is also on his realtor instagram
#ukraine
#disinformation

8/ His original youtube channel with music is still available. But someone called John Olzard with the same white background photo has also set up a Youtube account with weird Qanon, Great Reset theories with a crypto twist.

9/ I've reached out to John to confirm if his account was hacked, or indeed if he has become a pro-Russian, anti-Ukraine, Crypto Qanon Fascist. I'm guessing the former, but either way, it's super interesting. Cognitive hacking, or Social media hacking/identity theft?
#Ukraine

10/ Will update you on Joh's response. Beware of repurposed accounts (sockpuppets) spreading disinformation and propaganda. They are legion. Also, good rule of thumb, ignore any Twitter account talking about crypto #Ukraine #disinformation

11/ Update, I've been blocked by whomever is operating John Olzard's account