Long Beach councilman's fake Twitter account vanishes from Internet

A fake Twitter account created by an unknown party pretending to represent Long Beach Councilman Daryl Supeaw has vanished from the social media service.

Long Beach Technology & Iovation Department staffers asked Twitter to delete the “@DarylSupeaw4” account after someone used it on Friday evening to post a message purporting to endorse a City Council candidate.

The account was a sent from a “fake account pretending to be me,” Supeaw said in a Friday text message.

On Monday, Supeaw said he brought the issue to the attention of the city manager’s office, and city spokeswoman Kerry Gerot said in an email that Technology & Iovation Department staffers, as a courtesy to the real councilman, asked Twitter to delete the fraudulent account.

It’s unclear whether the city’s request is the reason the DarylSupeaw4 account is no longer active. A Twitter representative said in an email the social media company does not comment on individual users’ accounts.

The account that Supeaw said is fake claimed the councilman, along with Mayor Robert Garcia and Councilwoman Stacy Mungo had endorsed Eric Gray, one of three candidates competing to represent the city’s 2nd District. The Primary Election is scheduled for April 12.

Gray owns technology supplier ITO Solutions; the other candidates are Gaica Interiors owner Joen Gaica and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy policy director Jeaine Pearce.

None of the trio referred to in the Friday tweet — Supeaw, Mungo and Garcia — have formally endorsed any of the three candidates.

On Saturday, Gray said he considered the situation to be bizarre and pointed out the false tweet came out on April Fool’s Day. Monday, Gray said he had no idea who sent the tweet.

The fake account has been online since as early as Feb. 20, according to a Twitter search showing when other users, including those of Twitter accounts belonging to the mayor’s office and Long Beach Business Joual and Unite Here Local 11, have mentioned the account.