For example, let's say the legal name is Bob Ballad. Can a DBA be registered named Tom's Video Editing? And can a website be created named tomsvideoediting.com with the "About" page showcasing "Tom Thomas", implying that Tom Thomas is the owner of this business (sole proprietorship), even though Tom Thomas doesn't exist?
Of course, when registering the DBA itself and doing taxes and whatnot, the legal, real name is used.
Now, if that DBA of Tom's Video Editing is legally doable, then how far can that Tom Thomas profile go? When clients contact Bob, they'll be greeted by an email account named Tom Thomas who will ask for their requirements and eventually send the deliverable of the edited video. Payments will be sent to a PayPal business account where the Business Name (publicly shown) is Tom Thomas and the hidden, true registered account holder name is Bob Ballad. Even so, the profile picture of Tom's email account shows the picture of a human face that does not exist (and certainly not Bob's).
Note that there are no employee-employer relationships; everything is freelancing and/or contractors. If clients find out that they've been fooled and Tom doesn't exist and they want to fire Bob, that's fine, but can they sue Bob for this?
If all of the above is legally acceptable, then what should the registered DBA be - Tom's Video Editing or Tom Thomas?