smurf account

English

WOTD – 16 January 2013, 16 January 2015

Etymology

Coined by Geoff Fraizer and Greg Boyko, who played the online multiplayer game Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness under the names Shlonglor and Warp. The pair had become so proficient at the game that few people would play against them, so, in order to avoid scaring off potential competitors, they created alternate accounts named PapaSmurf and Smurfette (characters from the Smurfs comic franchise).

Smurf account as a banking term, however, predates Warcraft II by about a decade.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Audio (US):

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Noun

smurf account (plural smurf accounts)

1. (Internet slang) An alternative computer account used by a known or experienced user in order to deceptively self-present as someone naïve or less experienced.
   • 2002, Nojd, “Re: Age of Wonders 2 Beta Demo -- Feedback Survey”, in Usenet comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic:

     This policy has dramatically reduced the problems with smurf accounts, spam, flaming, and various types of bad behaviour on the forums.

   • 2003, Phoenix-D, “Re: On My Identity Theft”, in Usenet alt.fan.furry:

     Might help if you remember to change back to your smurf account, hmm? :P

   • 2007, Ron, “Re: Ken's checking accounts KANE'S HERO speaks”, in Usenet alt.support.child-protective-services:

     And like that little kid I spoke of in another thread, he compounds his lie's with more lies. So many that he has trouble keeping track of them all, which is why he keeps getting caught posting from the wrong smurf account.

2. (law enforcement, banking, slang) A bank account of many intended to handle illicit money in amounts too small to raise suspicion.
   • 1997, U.S. Government Printing Office, Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat International Money Laundering Through Black Market Peso Brokering, page 15:

     They were smurf accounts and other people and companies contracted by me. I never used my name.

Coordinate terms

• sock puppet