Key Takeaways
- A series of fake news stories have been circulating on Facebook, claiming that various celebrities have spent $10 million to build churches without seeking publicity.
- The stories feature near-identical wording and photos, and are designed to direct users to ad-heavy websites.
- The Facebook pages posting these stories are managed from Vietnam and other non-US locales.
- The stories are likely generated using AI chatbots and are designed to bypass AI detectors.
- The fake news stories have been found to feature a range of celebrities, including Barron and Melania Trump, Prince Harry, Eminem, and Vince Gill.
Introduction to Social Scams
Social media platforms like Facebook have become a breeding ground for fake news stories and scams. Recently, a series of fake stories have been circulating, claiming that various celebrities have spent $10 million to build churches without seeking publicity. These stories feature near-identical wording and photos, and are designed to direct users to ad-heavy websites. In this article, we will explore the details of these fake news stories and how they are being used to scam Facebook users.
The Fake News Stories
The fake news stories appear on Facebook pages that are managed from Vietnam and other non-US locales. The stories feature a range of celebrities, including Barron and Melania Trump, Prince Harry, Eminem, and Vince Gill. Each story claims that the celebrity has spent $10 million to build a church, and features a photo of the celebrity decorating the church. The stories are designed to be shareable and are often accompanied by hashtags such as #BreakingNews, #TrendingNow, and #ViralMoment. However, when users click on the links in the comments, they are directed to ad-heavy websites that profit from user traffic.
The "Viet Spam" Pattern
The fake news stories follow a pattern that has been dubbed the "Viet Spam" pattern. This pattern involves near-identical wording and photos, cheaply-made AI content, and page transparency listings showing that the pages are managed from Vietnam and other non-US locales. The "Viet Spam" pattern has been documented by Lead Stories, which has found over 60 series of fake news stories on Facebook that follow this pattern. The pattern is designed to bypass AI detectors and to direct users to ad-heavy websites.
Recycled Identical Stories
The fake news stories are often recycled and feature identical wording and photos. For example, the story about country star Vince Gill features a photo with a Google Gemini watermark, which is a generative AI image creator. The story is almost identical to the stories about other celebrities, with the only difference being the name of the celebrity and the photo. This suggests that the stories are being generated using AI chatbots and are being pasted onto Facebook pages.
Obvious AI Generation
The fake news stories often feature obvious signs of AI generation. For example, the story about Vince Gill features a photo with a Google Gemini watermark, which is a generative AI image creator. The story also features homoglyphs, which are text characters that resemble letters from the Latin alphabet but are actually characters from another alphabet. These homoglyphs are often used to bypass AI detectors and to avoid search engine or ad network blocking.
Originating in Vietnam or Other Overseas Locales
The Facebook pages posting the fake news stories are often managed from Vietnam or other non-US locales. For example, the page posting the story about Chris Stapleton features a transparency listing that shows that the page is managed from Vietnam. This suggests that the fake news stories are being generated and posted by individuals or groups based in Vietnam or other overseas locales.
Lack of Authenticity
The fake news stories lack authenticity and are often accompanied by obvious signs of inauthenticity. For example, the stories feature near-identical wording and photos, and are designed to direct users to ad-heavy websites. The stories also feature homoglyphs and other signs of AI generation. Additionally, the stories are often posted on Facebook pages that are managed from Vietnam or other non-US locales, which suggests that they are being generated and posted by individuals or groups based in these locales.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the fake news stories circulating on Facebook about celebrities spending $10 million to build churches are a scam. The stories feature near-identical wording and photos, and are designed to direct users to ad-heavy websites. The stories are likely generated using AI chatbots and are being posted by individuals or groups based in Vietnam or other overseas locales. Facebook users should be cautious when sharing or clicking on these stories, and should be aware of the signs of inauthenticity that often accompany them. By being aware of these signs, users can help to prevent the spread of fake news and scams on social media platforms.
