Misinformation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially debunked viral social media claims alleging that it is conducting a secret recruitment exercise. The agency clarified that it does not conduct recruitment through clandestine processes or third parties and urged the public to rely only on its official communication channels for verified information.

The claim that actor Salman Khan has announced his decision to join the AIMIM political party is false. The viral video and images circulating on social media are AI-generated manipulations of existing footage.

The claim that BJP leader Nitin Nabin hoisted the national flag upside down is false. The image circulating on social media was digitally manipulated; original video and photographic evidence from the event show him holding the flag correctly.

The claim that actor Deepika Padukone shared an Instagram Story supporting Sonam Wangchuk and criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi is false. Multiple media outlets and fact-checking investigations have confirmed that the viral screenshot circulating on social media is digitally fabricated and never appeared on the actor's verified account.

There is no evidence that President Donald Trump signed a law increasing the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. The federal minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour, and multiple fact-checking organizations have debunked this viral claim as false.

There is no evidence that Donald Trump posted a message on Truth Social claiming he spoke to God about a golden throne, an ocean of blood, or Armageddon. Independent fact-checkers have confirmed that the viral screenshot circulating on social media is fabricated.

The claim that Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner have split based on an Instagram story is false. The viral image of the alleged Instagram story was a fabrication that circulated on social media, and multiple reputable news outlets have confirmed the post was fake.

The video does not show an incident in India; it depicts an event that occurred in Sonargaon, Narayanganj, Bangladesh. The claim that it represents the 'new normal' in BJP-ruled India is false.

The claim that social activist Anna Hazare attended a press conference for the 'Cockroach Janata Party' (CJP) is false. The viral image used to support this claim has been identified by multiple fact-checking organizations as AI-generated.

Khaby Lame was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on June 6, 2025, for overstaying his visa. He was granted voluntary departure and subsequently left the United States.

The claim that French President Emmanuel Macron has resigned is false. Macron remains the President of France and has stated his intention to leave politics only after his second term concludes in 2027.

The claim that India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed there is no foreign funding in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is false. The MEA explicitly debunked this viral social media claim, stating that it misrepresents the spokesperson's actual comments.

The claim that actors Alyssa Milano, Rachael Harris, and Sean Astin released videos supporting an 'All Democrats Are Criminals' movement is false. These videos are fabricated and falsely attribute statements to these actors using manipulated media.

There is no evidence that England midfielder Jude Bellingham made these statements. Multiple news organizations have confirmed that these quotes are fabricated and part of a wave of misinformation circulating on social media following the 2026 World Cup.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit and government officials have confirmed that viral videos depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Piyush Goyal making threatening remarks toward students are AI-generated deepfakes. Authorities have identified these as part of a misinformation campaign and have taken legal action, including filing police complaints and removing the content from social media platforms.

The claim that birth control is 'poison' is a hyperbolic, non-scientific characterization. While some older, small-scale studies suggested a potential link between hormonal contraceptives and shifts in preferences for masculine facial features, more recent and larger-scale research has found no evidence that birth control significantly alters a woman's attraction to masculinity.

There is no evidence that Peter Obi ever stated that his son is gay. The claim originated from a fabricated graphic circulating on social media, which has been debunked by multiple independent fact-checking organizations.

The claim that the Cat in the Hat has been spotted in various towns is false. The images and videos circulating on social media are AI-generated hoaxes, and multiple police forces in the UK and Ireland have officially debunked these reports.

The viral video claiming to show municipal vehicles dumping garbage to block CJP protesters in Delhi is false. Fact-check investigations have confirmed the footage was recorded in Panipat, Haryana, on August 17, 2026, and depicts a protest by local sanitation workers, not an attempt by Delhi authorities to obstruct demonstrators.

Fact-checking organizations have confirmed that viral social media footage claiming to show protesters attempting to block Chinese President Xi Jinping's motorcade during a recent visit to the United States is misleading. The footage is recycled from an older event and does not depict the 2026 state visit.

Multiple independent fact-checking organizations have documented a recurring pattern of old, unrelated videos being misattributed as recent drone or military strikes on Saudi Arabian infrastructure and military bases.

The claim that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed intelligence investigations showed no foreign funding in recent Delhi protests is false. The MEA explicitly debunked this viral claim, stating that it misrepresents the spokesperson's actual remarks, which were that he had 'no information' to share on the matter.

Viral social media posts claiming that an image shows an attempt to block Chinese President Xi Jinping's motorcade during a recent US trip are false. Fact-checking organizations have identified these posts as misrepresentations of older or unrelated footage.

The claim that a 'Cat-in-the-Hat' killer is stalking residents in south Mississippi is false. The reports originated from a viral social media hoax involving AI-generated images and prank videos that spread internationally, prompting unnecessary concern and investigations by local law enforcement and school districts.

The claim that birth control pills are 'poison' and cause permanent infertility is false. Extensive medical research and guidance from health authorities, including the CDC and the World Health Organization, confirm that oral contraceptives do not cause permanent infertility and that fertility typically returns once the medication is discontinued.

Large-scale protests frequently occur in central London, and multiple reputable news organizations have documented instances in 2026 where tens of thousands of people marched through the city for various causes.

There is no evidence of a 'mystery virus' circulating. Health experts state that the symptoms described by TikTok users are consistent with common, known respiratory illnesses, and the 'mystery' is a result of social media misinformation rather than a novel pathogen.

The claim that Japan's population reached 124 million in 2026 is inaccurate. Multiple authoritative sources, including the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and United Nations projections, estimate Japan's total population to be approximately 122.4 million in 2026.

Multiple independent reports and fact-checking organizations have confirmed that during the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, deepfake videos were circulated on social media depicting both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif making fabricated statements, including admissions of defeat or apologies.

The claim that birth control medication is 'poison' and causes infertility is false. Extensive medical research and consensus from reproductive health experts confirm that hormonal contraceptives do not cause long-term or permanent infertility.

The claim that Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated there was no foreign funding behind CJP-led protests is false. The MEA explicitly debunked this viral claim, clarifying that the spokesperson actually stated he had 'no information to share' regarding the matter.

The claim that President Biden placed a Medal of Honor on a veteran backwards is false. The video circulating on social media was manipulated and grainy, leading to a false interpretation of the event during the July 2022 ceremony.

The claim that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was photographed with Jeffrey Epstein is false. The images circulating online are AI-generated fabrications created by a parody account.

The claim that President Biden placed the Medal of Honor on veteran Dwight Birdwell backwards is false. The viral video circulating on social media was a low-quality, grainy clip that created a visual illusion. High-definition footage of the July 5, 2022, ceremony confirms the medal was placed correctly.

The viral image depicting teachers holding a sign threatening to quit if pride flags are removed from their classrooms is an AI-generated fabrication.

The claim that Currys is offering KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 stand mixers for £10 via an online form is false. This is a recurring scam format that uses the names of well-known retailers to harvest personal data.

The video circulating on social media claiming to show thousands of people recently marching through central London is AI-generated, not a recording of a real event.

The viral image claiming to show BJP National President Nitin Nabin hoisting the Indian national flag upside down is digitally manipulated. Multiple independent fact-checking organizations have confirmed that the original photograph shows the flag correctly oriented with the saffron stripe at the top.

President Donald Trump did not sign an executive order to rename New Mexico to 'New America.' The claim originated from a satirical social media post that was debunked by fact-checkers. While President Trump later shared a map on Truth Social that visually proposed the name change, he has taken no formal legal or executive action to change the state's name.

The claim that actor Jackie Chan has died is false. The viral social media posts featuring a black-and-white image with the dates '1954-2026' are part of a recurring death hoax. Multiple credible news outlets and social media community notes have confirmed that the 72-year-old actor is alive and active.

The viral video claiming to show the glacier collapse that triggered the August 26, 2026, floods in Nepal and Tibet is false. Fact-checking organizations and news outlets have confirmed that the footage circulating on social media is either old, unrelated, or AI-generated, and does not depict the actual event.

The claim that India and Japan signed an agreement allowing 50 million Hindus to settle in Japan is false. The actual agreement involves a two-way exchange of 500,000 people over five years, including 50,000 skilled workers, with no religious criteria or mass settlement provisions.

The claim that multiple world leaders fell ill due to an incident at the BRICS Summit is misleading. While South African President Cyril Ramaphosa did withdraw from public engagements due to ill health after returning from the summit, there is no evidence linking his condition to the event. Furthermore, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has explicitly debunked broader social media rumors claiming that multiple leaders fell ill or were poisoned at the summit, labeling such reports as 'malicious' and 'fake'.

The claim that over 20,000 Haitian immigrants were dropped off in Logansport, Indiana, in a six-month period is false. Local officials and reporting indicate that the actual number of Haitian immigrants who have arrived in the city over several years is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000, and the 20,000 figure originated from a social media satire page.

The claim that the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that 87% of India's population will develop cancer by 2035 due to milk adulteration is false. The WHO has explicitly denied issuing any such advisory, and the claim has been repeatedly debunked by government fact-checking agencies.

Senator Raphael Warnock publicly stated in a video that AI-generated deepfake images have been circulating online that falsely depict him with health issues and children he does not have.

The claim that BJP President Nitin Nabin disrespected the national flag by hoisting it upside down is false. The viral image circulating on social media has been digitally manipulated; original footage confirms he was holding the flag correctly.

The image circulating on social media, which appears to show a fan resembling Adolf Hitler at a 2026 FIFA World Cup match, is a digitally manipulated fake. Original broadcast footage from the Germany vs. Curaçao match confirms that the individual in the image was inserted or altered, and no such person was present in the stadium.

Khaby Lame was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on June 6, 2025, for overstaying his visa. He was granted voluntary departure and has since left the United States.

The claim that BJP National President Nitin Nabin hoisted the Indian national flag upside down is false. The viral image circulating on social media has been digitally manipulated; the original photograph shows him holding the flag correctly.

The claim that Jackie Chan has passed away is false. The viral social media posts featuring a black-and-white image with the dates '1954-2026' are part of a recurring death hoax. Multiple reputable news organizations have confirmed that the 72-year-old actor is alive and continues to be active in his professional career.

Multiple reputable news organizations confirmed that protests took place at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 2, 2026, where demonstrators demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

TikTok star Khaby Lame was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Las Vegas on June 6, 2025, for overstaying his visa. He was not formally arrested for deportation proceedings in the traditional sense; rather, he was granted voluntary departure and left the country.

The claim that Nyesom Wike stated the G5 governors rigged the 2023 election is false. While Wike publicly discussed the political strategy used by the G5 governors to influence the election outcome in the South-South region, he did not admit to rigging the election.

The claim that actor Jackie Chan has passed away is false. The viral social media posts featuring a '1954-2026' death date are part of a recurring celebrity death hoax.

The claim that the Central Government has issued a notification declaring every Saturday as a public holiday for public sector banks is false. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has officially debunked this viral document as fake.

While there have been multiple, well-documented protests at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar throughout late September 2026, some viral videos circulating on social media have been identified as mislabeled or taken out of context regarding specific dates or events.

Recent research indicates that a substantial proportion of social media content regarding ADHD and autism is actually misleading or inaccurate, rather than substantiated.

There is no evidence that Ja Morant has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The claim originated from viral social media misinformation that has been widely debunked by multiple news outlets.

The claim that DMV rapper HavinMotion (Dwayne Omar Isaacs Jr.) has died is true. He was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2026.

The claim that Ademola Adeleke was leading in only 13 local government areas is inaccurate. Official results from the 2026 Osun State governorship election confirm that Ademola Adeleke won the election by securing 19 out of the 30 local government areas in the state.

While there were genuine protests at Jantar Mantar in September 2026 regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the specific video being circulated as 'recent' has been identified by authorities and fact-checkers as old, unrelated footage.

The claim that OPay has discontinued the use of phone numbers as wallet account numbers is false. OPay has officially debunked this statement, confirming that phone numbers remain valid account identifiers and that customers do not need to visit agents to update their accounts.

Multiple viral images and videos circulating on social media that purport to show former Prime Minister Imran Khan inside jail—including images of him praying—have been identified as AI-generated content by multiple independent fact-checking organizations.

The claim that a video of a glacier burst in Alaska shows the trigger for the 2026 Nepal flash floods is false. Multiple independent fact-checking organizations have confirmed that the video in question is old footage of an Alaskan glacier and is entirely unrelated to the disaster in Nepal.

Reports that social media personality Khaby Lame was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June 2025 are accurate. While initial social media posts were met with skepticism, major news outlets confirmed that Lame was detained in Las Vegas for overstaying his visa and subsequently left the United States.

The claim that Jackie Chan has passed away is false. The reports originated from a viral social media hoax featuring a fabricated memorial-style image with the dates '1954-2026'.

The viral image of an Iranian footballer holding a pink backpack is AI-generated and not a real photograph. While the Iranian national team did perform a genuine tribute with backpacks during a friendly match in March 2026, the specific image circulating on social media during the World Cup is a fabrication.

The claim that not a single Republican condemned the targeted shooting of Democratic politicians in Minnesota in June 2025 is false. Numerous high-ranking Republican officials, including the House Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader, as well as Minnesota's entire congressional delegation, issued statements condemning the violence.

There is no evidence to support the claim that Brittney Griner is a man. Brittney Griner is a cisgender woman and a professional athlete who has competed in the WNBA and for the U.S. women's national team throughout her career.

The claim that Timothée Chalamet confirmed a breakup with Kylie Jenner via an Instagram story is false. The rumor originated from a fabricated screenshot of an Instagram story that circulated on social media, which has been debunked by multiple news outlets.

Multiple reputable technology news outlets reported that xAI's chatbot, Grok, provided inaccurate information regarding the Bondi Beach shooting, including misidentifying the hero who disarmed an attacker and incorrectly describing footage of the event as a video of a man climbing a palm tree.

The claim that BJP National President Nitin Nabin hoisted the national flag upside down is false. Multiple independent fact-checking organizations and news reports have confirmed that the viral images and videos circulating on social media were digitally manipulated or edited to misrepresent the original event.

Khaby Lame was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June 2025 for overstaying his visa, but he was not arrested in the criminal sense and was permitted to leave the country voluntarily.

The claim that Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima was recorded using his phone to film during a speech by Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly is false. Fact-checking investigations have confirmed that the individual in the viral video was misidentified.

The viral video compilation claiming to show a growing, unified protest movement against President Bola Tinubu's government is false. Investigations by independent fact-checkers have confirmed that the footage used in these viral posts consists of old, unrelated clips from different years and contexts, such as the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests and 2023 demonstrations following the death of singer Mohbad.

Medical experts and researchers have confirmed that social media platforms are frequently used to spread medically inaccurate information regarding perimenopause. This misinformation can lead to delayed medical diagnoses, the use of unnecessary or unproven treatments, and risks related to reproductive health, such as unintended pregnancies.

The viral image claiming to show BJP National President Nitin Nabin hoisting the Indian national flag upside down is digitally manipulated. Multiple independent fact-checking organizations and news outlets have confirmed that the original, unaltered footage and photographs show the flag being hoisted correctly with the saffron stripe at the top.