Very cool.The not-so-secret world of Star Wars collectors is one rife with many hours logged on forums that are often trolled by con artists claiming to have a piece of Star Wars history up for grabs. And there’s maybe no fan-favorite item more coveted than the autograph of Luke Skywalker — so much so that it’s also become one of the easiest to fake. Fed up with nearly 40 years of deceit, Mark Hamill has embarked on an act of Twitter vigilantism, where he’s currently self-authenticating his signature for any fan who tweets him a photo of their memorabilia. “I’m so sorry there’s so many fans spending their hard-earned money for fraudulent signatures,” he explained, breaking the news to one fan who got duped.
So far, he’s personally investigated more than a dozen autographs and confirmed that a bunch are fake, but a few are real! (He’s also “liked” several that are real, so don’t get discouraged if he doesn’t directly tweet you.) Hamill’s even given some tips on how to spot the forgeries: Firstly, if it looks like your 5-year-old scribbled it, you should already be skeptical. And if the joke that precedes it isn’t total dad humor, don’t even bother.
In a word- NO. I'm so sorry there's so many fans spending their hard-earned money for fraudulent signatures. #FAKE https://t.co/717Bv02ASA
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 27, 2015That one is REAL- go for it! (but only at a reasonable price!) #Authentic https://t.co/SxZw59MDti
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 28, 2015Both REAL (with REAL corny jokes, btw)#BeatTheDealers #FansRule https://t.co/1oL6gPikps
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 28, 2015Sorry to admit it's REAL. (Seemed funny at the time... what was I thinking'?)#BeatTheDealers #BadGag https://t.co/plKF9hGaPD
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 28, 2015REAL. Memorize this perfect example to spot future frauds. Would love to save fan's hard earned $ from crooks' greed https://t.co/uUFuwe75tm
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 28, 2015Because I owe it to all true fans to protect them from being victimized by dishonest dealers!#FightFraud #FansRule https://t.co/aXk6zBMCAs
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 28, 2015@HamillHimself hey Mark, I got this for my girlfriend, but based on examples it looks fake. Can you confirm? pic.twitter.com/s8Ye712sBn
— Colin Madigan (@fireinthebarn) December 28, 2015Not only REAL, but a rarity compared to the many many SW-related signatures over the years!#BewareOfFakes #FansRule https://t.co/KN5Rt3NfuZ
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 28, 2015 Mark Hamill Is Twitter-Verifying His AutographsncG1vNJzZmivp6x7t8HLrayrnV6YvK57kWlobmdhZ3yurdGkZKGZnZ65rXnIrGStr5mpwaa%2BjK%2Bcq6GWrravs4yhoKxlkarBsLPRmqehq16dwa64