smurf account

noun

An alternative computer account used by a known or experienced user in order to deceptively self-present as someone naïve or less experienced.

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Meanings

nounsmurf account (plural smurf accounts)

plural smurf accounts

  1. InternetAn alternative computer account used by a known or experienced user in order to deceptively self-present as someone naïve or less experienced.

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

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

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

    2002, Nojd, “Re: Age of Wonders 2 Beta Demo -- Feedback Survey”, in Usenet comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic

    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.

    2007, Ron, “Re: Ken's checking accounts KANE'S HERO speaks”, in Usenet alt.support.child-protective-services
  2. slangbankingA bank account of many intended to handle illicit money in amounts too small to raise suspicion.

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

    1997, U.S. Government Printing Office, Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat International Money Laundering Through Black Market Peso Brokering, page 15

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
sock puppet

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

smurf account. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smurf%20account

MLA

“smurf account.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smurf%20account. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “smurf account,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smurf%20account.

Source: smurf account on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.