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#FakeNews Open Source Investigation - Claims of Aerial Sprays by Pakistan Army Choppers [Thread]

#coronavirusinpakistan #PakistanFightsCorona #Covid_19
The earliest message on social media platforms claiming "anti-coronavirus aerial sprays by Pakistan Army helicopters" was posted by Twitter handle 'HoneySiddiqui17' on 18 March 2020 at 11:13am PST/ 6:13am GMT. Archived copy: archive.vn/dIWRx
This handle was created on 29 February 2020 and has just 1 follower (by the time of compiling this report).
Social networking stats. So far hashtags used are related to the coronavirus.
Correction: The original tweet by 'HoneySiddiqui17' was 11:13pm PST/6:13pm GMT (night time).
The same message was shared a minute later (11:14pm PST/6:14pm GMT on 18 March 2020) by Twitter handle 'S_9525'. Archived copy: archive.vn/xjJRN
The message then appeared on Facebook page 'Rahnuma News' on 18 March 2020 at 11:18pm PST/6:18 pm PST. Archived copy: archive.vn/ViW7K
6:18pm GMT*
On 18 March 2020 at 11:50pm PST/6:50pm GMT, Facebook page 'Long live Pak' uploaded the same news. Archived copy: archive.vn/YR81O
This page ('Long live Pak') is operated by several individuals including an individual 'Anas' who routinely impersonates as a military officer. Aliases include 'Ansi Babu'. His group has almost 49,000 members.
Twitter handle '9newstv' with a large following (11,000+ followers) shared this fake news on 19 March 2020 at 11:27am PST/6:27am GMT but deleted it a while later (screenshot attached).
9News staff details can be accessed here, including name of the 'CEO' Rahim Khan and their contact number for advertisements: archive.vn/UMrQt
This concludes the lookup of rumours in Urdu.
A lookup of the same rumour contents in the English language identified an earlier originator, Twitter handle 'NidaAli18146226' who tweeted the fake news in intervals on 18 March 2020 at 5:48pm PST/12:48pm GMT. Archived copy: archive.vn/Q20FG
A timely and resourceful report by Ramsha Jahangir (@ramshajahangir)/Dawn debunks these rumours and mentions that similar messages in Arabic language were floated in the Arab world, rejected by Omani and Egyptian militaries.
dawn.com/news/1541944/v…
I can now add that the UAE has also strongly rejected these rumours.
gulfbusiness.com/uae-dismisses-…
And so have the Jordanian Armed Forces...
royanews.tv/news/208582
The Anti-Rumour Commission based in KSA (@No_Rumors) was among the first to debunk this fake news. Link to report: archive.vn/vwNmU
A reverse-lookup of the fake news' Arabic language contents identifies Twitter handle 'U9j3vG7PkiBgHjD' ('Nawaaf al-Naami') as the originator. Timestamp: 15 March 2020 at 11:28pm PST/6:28pm GMT. Archived copy of tweet: archive.vn/9LnVYA
The handle is apparently a KSA-based individual who has (intentionally?) mentioned his mobile number in his bio. A reverse-lookup of the number takes you to a 2016 ad for someone in KSA trying to sell his Kia Cerato.
Source: webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache…
Nawaf Al-Nami is a resident of Dammam (KSA). Facebook profile retrieved. Archived copy: archive.vn/OxTHy
The handles with which 'Nawaf Al-Nami' maintains most interaction include 'alfars999' and 'VIP_SA_'. It is believed that the handle of 'Nawaf' is part of a tweet brigade amplifying pro-KSA regime propaganda.
Assessment: Based on available open sources, it is believed that rumours of 'anti-coronavirus aerial sprays' by mil helicopters is a fake news which originated in KSA, travelled through the Arab world then made way into Pakistan. Contents were localised according to the country.
There's some evidence that WhatsApp and other OTT services were primarily used to spread this fake news but, of course, there could be thousands of such groups existing out there. What matters is that one does not fall prey to hearsay [End]
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#FakeNews #coronavirusinpakistan #PakistanFightsCorona #Covid_19

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Zaki Khalid
@misterzedpk
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Zaki Khalid
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Zaki Khalid
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#FakeNews #FactCheck Alleged Mistreatment of COVID-19 Quarantined Individuals in Taftan [Thread]

#coronavirusinpakistan #COVID2019 #coronavirus
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सत्य अन्वेषक
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Al-Mulhid Min Juzur Al-Maldhyfi (ℒ) 🎈❓
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Stu Cvrk
@STUinSD
Thread: News Summary from the Week that Was (1 – 7 September)

1. Time for another dose of the real news that the legacy media continually sweeps under the rug because it doesn’t fit their “Republican bad, Democrats good” narrative.
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Heshmat Alavi
@HeshmatAlavi
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1)
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#Iran
2)
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3)
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S C M
@ScmAuthor
1. Open letter to all social media platforms regarding fake news
I’m writing in regard to the serious problem of fake news running riot throughout social media.
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