Fake accounts being created with my email addresses

If those accounts are still under your email address, you can gain control of those accounts by using the resend password form.

I just tested it now and it works this way:

1. Go to the resend password form

2. Enter your email address then click the [Reset my password] button.
Note: you won't need to specify the username since Twitter will know which account that email address is linked to)

3. Twitter will send an email to the email address that you specified. That email will have a special URL that you must click on. Once you've clicked on that URL, you'll be logged into Twitter and will be taken immediately to the 'set new password' page. Change the password there.

Once you've changed the password, you'll have control of the account and you can delete tweets as needed.

I wish it was that easy. Some were deleted by the original creator before I got to them thereby leaving the tweets forever archived in the search for my name. Regardless, it is ugly and derogatory. What really irritates me is that someone can create these accounts using my name and email and write whatever they want and pretend like it is me doing it.

If nothing else, having no email verification means you can't track or stop spammers or bad people from doing bad things as they don't even need a valid email address, or an email that they have access to. While the extra step doesn't stop everyone, it does stop quite a few. More hoops to jump through would deter abuse and also lighten some load on the system.

If the email verification seems like something that isn't going to be implemented anytime soon (and why not?) then I expect Twitter to respond to the impersonation attempts and remove the invalid accounts from the search results. Even if they don't want to get involved supporting their TOS (number four states "You must not abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other Twitter users." with impersonating being the issue I am having) then they could at least delete the stuff from showing up in their search results.

If you don't implement security measures then you should enforce policies. It's just frustrating when I can't get help or a response from a company I used to highly recommend and support.

I'd like there to be email verification as well. I hope they add that soon.

Also, I hope you don't mind my asking -- when you say the tweets are 'archived' and can be found in 'search' -- which search in particular did you mean?

I ask because Twitter doesn't have a tweet search service, only a user search service. Is it possible you're talking about one of the third-party search engines, like Tweetscan or Summize? Twitter doesn't have any control over those sites, since they're run separately.

Perhaps they'll be willing to entertain requests to delete tweets from their archives.

By searching I meant using that search function at the top of the screen when logged into twitter that says "name or location" with a search button. Searching for my publicly known identity brings up not only mine but also the fakes and their last statuses. Since I am the only one using my identity and have been building it since the 90s in my industry, it looks ugly for my reputation.
Honestly, I don't know what purpose it serves to save that info after an account is deleted for public viewing. I could understand retaining info on the backend for account retrieval, but not for public searches.

I have my own legal options going with what the 3rd party is up to using my identity, as well as take down notices for copyrighted images. I just hope Twitter can work with me to clear up all the left over garbage for accounts that don't exist anymore & I didn't create and hopefully consider implementing additional security measures for new accounts that would benefit the service and their users.

Christa,

I understand and sympathize with your problem. I was invited to join Twitter and found, when trying to register, that my email address, which is my full name @hotmail.com...obviously belonging to me and no one else for many years...already existed. That person is not me and using not only my email address but also my name. I have o idea how or what they have said, but I have never been a member of Twitter before so feel publicly assaulted and robbed.

Hi marshymutt. If someone has used your email address to register a Twitter account, you can take over that account by doing this:

1. Go to Twitter's Password Resend page at http://twitter.com/account/resend_pas...

2. In the form provided, enter your email address and click the [Reset my password] button.

This causes Twitter to send an email to your email address. That email will contain a link that you can click to change the password of the Twitter account that is using your email address.

3. Login to your email account and look for the password reset email from Twitter. Click the link in that email.

4. In the web page that loads, specify a new password for the Twitter account. Once you've changed the password, the Twitter account will now be under your control.

It says my account doesn't exist :(