Schools

Fake West Orange School Twitter Profile Tried To Dupe Students: Superintendent

The fake school Twitter profile tried to trick students into thinking Friday was a day off, West Orange's superintendent says.

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Forget fake news… worry about fake Twitter accounts, West Orange.

On Friday, West Orange Superintendent Jeff Rutzky issued an alert that someone created a fake Twitter account that imitated the district’s real account, right down to the photos it used to establish the profile.

On Thursday, the fake profile – @woschoolsinfo - incorrectly stated that student attendance wouldn’t be required the next day, Rutzky said.

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“Someone created a separate Twitter account with a slightly different name and used the district images,” the superintendent alleged… coincidentally, in a Twitter post.

The official West Orange School District profile on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is @woschools, Rutzky emphasized.

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“Please remember that district and/or school information is always sent via School Messenger and placed on the website, as well as through social media outlets,” he added.

Although Rutzky said the profile was created Thursday, according to its Twitter history, the fake account has been posting since February of 2015.

As of Friday afternoon, the @woschoolsinfo Twitter account was inactive.

No word was immediately available as to whether the fake account caused any students to actually miss class on Friday.

File Photo: West Orange Schools

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