Is MPH giving away free books on financial planning and stocks?! Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Updated @ 2023-09-26 : Added a new version of this scam
Updated @ 2023-08-14 : Added new versions of this scam Originally posted @ 2023-05-20
Watch Out For MPH Free Books Scam!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim MPH is giving away free books because it has either achieved 500,000 fans, or is shutting down its bookstores!
🎉To celebrate MPH Books breaking 500,000 fans in Malaysia, thank you for your support 👋MPH Books specially prepares best-selling books on financial planning and stocks to give to everyone for free. I hope everyone has to help! limited quantity available. (Free shipping)
📢📢 Sorry everyone, I have to say goodbye to everyone Due to the continuous decline in store performance, the store cannot continue to operate normally 👋👋So the head office decided to close the store and give away the remaining financial and stock books in the store to everyone for free. I hope everyone has to help! 📣📣Finally, thank you again for your long-term support and trust. The book donation activity is the only feedback activity we can do at present! limited quantity available. (free shipping available)
🎉To celebrate the 99 Supermarket Malaysian branch exceeding 1,000, thank you for your support ❤️99 Supermarket specially prepares best-selling books on stocks and gives them to everyone for free
🔥The number of stock books is limited, while supplies last
👋👋Sorry really sorry, this time I really want to say goodbye to everyone! The bookstore can’t continue to operate as sales in the store continue to decline! So the company decided to close the store and give away the remaining financial stock books in the store for free, hope it will help everyone! Limited quantity until delivery lasts. (Free shipping available)
This MPH free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May 2023, so please alert your family and friend!
Fact #1 : MPH Did Not Close Bookstores In 2023
MPH closed many of its physical stores since June 2020, as it shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns to an online store with a “digitally-driven omnichannel business model”.
MPH has not announced closing down any further bookstores in 2023.
Fact #2 : MPH Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
MPH is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert on May 9, 2023:
⚠️𝐅𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓!⚠️
Hey readers, we noticed that irresponsible parties have been impersonating the MPH brand by creating fake pages and ads to confuse and lure our customers to share their data.
Please note that MPH is not associated in any way with these pages and we DO NOT run any free book giveaways nor do we request customers to PM us your personal details.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our followers and customers for updating us about these pages. We sincerely thank YOU for your continuous support!
Please do NOT be naive. MPH is a business, not a charity. Just because it hits 500,000 fans in Malaysia, it’s not going to give away its books.
Heck, why should it give away books even if it’s closing down its bookstores? It would be more logical for MPH to offer discounts to clear its books, so it won’t lose so much money.
In fact, MPH itself pointed out in its scam warning – “we DO NOT run any free book giveaways“. Why should they? They are a corporation whose business is not make money, not a charity to give you free books!
Fact #4 : Giveaways Were Not Posted In Official Website / FB Page
If MPH was really giving away free books, it would have posted the offer on:
These scams are being run off fake Facebook pages that are brand new, and have nothing to do with the real MPH:
MPH Group Publishing
MPH Book
MPH English Bookstore
Fact #5 : MPH Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
MPH offers a multitude of contact options by email or telephone number. What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” by messaging a WhatsApp number, be warned!
Please add librarian Gek Tiang’s Whatsapp message ”Pm“ to get free stock books (free shipping) Whatsapp: https://xxxx.xx/601170131707
Scammers will try to scare you into contacting them, by telling you that stock is running out. Just ignore them!
There are only 3 free places left, which have been reserved for you, please add and leave a message as soon as possible Whatsapp : https://xxxx.xx/601170131707
There are many friends who have claimed it, please tell us whether you have added it successfully! If you do not add or reply, it means that you will give up the quota by default and automatically transfer it to the next friend. Thank you for your understanding!
Fact #7 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report. By then, it was too late – she had already lost every sen she “invested”.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Were the French people just caught urinating on an African child, while filming their vile act?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : French People Were Caught Urinating On African Child!
People are sharing a video on WhatsApp and Facebook, claiming that the French people were just caught urinating on an African child after the French ambassador in Mali was expelled!
On WhatsApp : Lets make this go viral until the people responsible for this human rights abuse are arrested and prosecuted. This is the filth of France, the ugliest scandal of the twenty-first century!!!
The inhuman and shocking scene of two men and a woman urinating on an African child, in one of the French villages, and the child, completely stripped of clothes, lying face down on the ground, while numbers of The French men and women, whose country has always shocked the world with the sophistication of their civilization, are watching this obscene, dirty, and abnormal act, without any sign of intervention from any of them!!!
This was after the state of Mali expelled the French ambassador. The French arrested one of the Malians in a French village and urinated on him publicly. Africa must wake up to see the true, ugly face of France.
We regret the ugliness and horror of the scene, but where are the human rights advocates in this? It is unfortunate that globally Black Africans are associated with misfortune everywhere.
Truth : French People Did Not Urinate On African Child!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video
First, let me start by pointing out that this incident did not occur in 2023. The video was actually recorded on January 17, 2013. So it is more than ten years old!
Fact #2 : There Was No African Child / Woman
The child / woman who was being peed on in the viral video is not an African child or woman.
That is actually Guatemalan performance artist, Regina José Galindo, who covered her body in black coal.
Born on 27 August 1974, Regina was 39 years old when that video was recorded, and is 49 years old in 2023.
Fact #3 : Video Was Recorded In Brazil
The video was not recorded in Mali, but thousands of kilometres away, in São Paulo, Brazil.
To be specific, the video was recorded at Departamento de Artes Cênicas (CAC) – the Department of Performing Arts, which is part of the School of Communications and Arts (ECA) of the University of São Paulo.
The video is actually a 2013 performance called Piedra (Spanish for stone), which aims to expose the history of violence against Latin American women, and address the exploitation of the female workers of Brazil’s colossal coal mining industry.
In the Piedra performance, Regina painted her body black and crouched into a petrified metal position. Every 10 minutes, a male-bodied “audience member” would approach Galindo, unbutton their pants and pee on her as she remained deathly still.
The obvious nonchalant attitude and ease in which these male-bodied actors could defile the artist’s body parallels the wide-spread apathy regarding the safety and care of women’s bodies. The public aspect of the performance only “further underscores the myopic nature of everyday actions that propel repetitive structural violence.”
In presenting her body as an insignificant piedra (Spanish for stone), Galindo is suggesting a quality of disposability, with the female body vulnerable (like a stone) to violent abuse.
Piedra : The history of humanity has remained inscribed on the bodies of Latin American women. On their bodies— conquered, marked, enslaved, objectified, exploited, and tortured—one can read the terrible stories of power and struggle that shape our past. Bodies are fragile only in their appearance. It is the female body that has survived conquest and slavery. Like a stone, it has stored the hatred and rancor of memory in order to transform it into energy and life.
Fact #4 : This Video Is Being Abused By Different Parties
This video is, unfortunately, being abused by different parties to drive narratives that are contrary to what actually happened.
Some African netizens are sharing it to fan the deeply-rooted anti-French sentiment in West Africa, after a series of military coups in Mali, Niger, Guinea, and Burkina Faso.
On the other hand, pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are using the video to fan anti-West sentiments in Africa (where China is making inroads), and draw attention away from criticisms of their “re-education” activities in Xinjiang.
As you have seen – the truth is they were all lying / misrepresenting the video. Here are other examples you may have seen on WhatsApp or social media platforms recently:
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the US government steal $50 trillion worth of gold and oil from Iraq?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-19 : Refreshed with updated info Originally published @ 2022-04-12
Claim : US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq!
People are sharing photos of US soldiers posing with gold bars, as evidence that the United States sold gold and oil from Iraq worth tens of trillions of dollars!
These photos was revived on the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and then on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as part of the information warfare surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is also being shared and promoted on pro-CCP and pro-Russia groups on social media, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
Here the US thieves in Iraq. Bringing democracy aka stealing a country’s gold. Same thing they want to do in Russia. But Russia is no Iraq or Libya.
The #US ransacked and plundered the whole of #Iraq. Banks, museums, all of their gold reserves. The US is the biggest gang of thiefs in the whole history. They have raped most of the planet in the last 50 years. #Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar #UkraineRussiaWar #Russia #Putin #NATO
🇺🇸 “liberates” gold & oil while 🇷🇺 liberates humans.
#Denaƶification & #Demilitarization of #UkroNaƶiLand
Truth : US Gov Did Not Steal Gold + Oil From Iraq At All!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated to deflect criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : US Did Not Steal $30 Trillion Of Iraqi Oil
Claims that the US stole $30 trillion worth of oil from Iraq are false. The United States did lose track of 8.7 billion dollars worth of Iraqi funds though.
After the invasion of Iraq concluded, Iraqi oil was sold to help fund the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI). Other sources of funds include surplus funds (about USD 10 billion) from the UN Oil-For-Food Program, and the sale of seized Iraqi assets.
The United States did not truck away Iraqi oil, as claimed. In July 2010, the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) discovered that the US Department of Defense could not account properly for USD 8.7 billion of DFI funds.
This led the Iraqi Parliament to request the United Nation’s help in demanding that the US return $17 billion of “oil money” that it said was stolen from the Iraqi people :
All the indications are that the institutions of the United States of America committed financial corruption by stealing the money of the Iraqi people, which was allocated to develop Iraq, (and) that it was about $17 billion.
… Our committee decided to send this issue to you … to look into it and restore the stolen money.
Stealing $30 trillion worth of oil would require 1.7 billion oil trucks, or 46,000 of these trucks every day for 100 years!
Fact #2 : US Spent $60 Billion To Reconstruct Iraq
There is no evidence that the unaccounted money was repatriated to the United States, or officially taken by the United States.
Even assuming that it was not poor accounting and all of the $8.7 billion was truly stolen, that is a far cry (0.029%) from the $30 trillion that was “allegedly” stolen.
It is also rendered ludicrous by the fact that the United States spent US$60 billion in the reconstruction of Iraq – almost 7X of what it allegedly stole.
Also consider the fact that Iraqi oil production only reached 4.4 million barrels per day in 2016. Assuming an average sale price of USD 60 per barrel, it would take them 311 years to sell enough oil to make $30 trillion.
Fact #3 : US Did Not Steal $20 Trillion Of Iraqi Gold
The United States also did not steal gold from Iraq, certainly not $20 trillion worth of gold!
All those photos of US soldiers with Iraqi gold bars are genuine, but they only show them taking photos with the gold they seized in Iraq.
The Iraqi gold bars (as well as currency and other valuables) that US soldiers seized were transported to the US Army’s headquarters in Kuwait.
There, they were examined by the Secret Service and/or the US Department of Treasury to determine their authenticity and value, before being returned to the Central Iraqi Treasury or the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI).
This is a picture of Lt. Col. Scott Schmidt, who was in charge of the 230th Finance Battalion. The battalion’s job was to seize Iraqi assets like currency, gold bars and other valuables.
Fact #4 : The Entire World Does Not Have So Much Gold!
In 2003, Iraq had under 6 tonnes of gold reserves, worth less than $70 million. So how can the United States possibly steal 20 trillion dollars worth of gold from Iraq? $20 trillion worth of gold would weigh at least 1,714,285 tonnes in 2003.
Guess how much gold mankind has ever mined in history? Only 208,874 tonnes as of February 2023 – which is just 12% of what people are claiming that the United States stole from Iraq.
As of January 2023, the value of all the gold in the world is only USD 13 trillion – less than 2/3 of what the conspiracy theory claims the United States stole from Iraq… and that’s only because gold prices have gone up tremendously since 2003.
Even with the much higher gold price, it would take an additional 90 years of mining gold before the entire world has $20 trillion worth of gold for the US government to steal.
Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check out!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the toxic Fukushima waste water just kill fish and birds in Kuching, Malaysia?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Toxic Fukushima Water Killed Fish + Birds In Kuching!
People are sharing a video on WhatsApp, which claims to show hundreds of fish in Kuching killed by the toxic Fukushima waste water. It’s paired with warnings like this:
How to explain this happen here in Kuching 🫤🤔
Not too long ago, the pigeons at our waterfront drop dead from poisoning ☹️🫤
Truth : Fukushima Water Did Not Kill Fish + Birds In Kuching!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS surrounding the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima NPS, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Video Was Recorded In Kuching
The viral video was streamed live by Sarawak Edition at 12:14 PM on Sunday, 17 September 2023.
Sarawak Edition said that it recorded the video at Jalan Rock in Kuching, near the Shell petrol station, and an Indian temple.
I managed to geolocate the exact location the video was recorded (Google Map link) to the monsoon drain next to the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple at Jalan Rock, Min Chun Garden, in Kuching, Sarawak.
On the left is the Google Map Street View taken on March 2019, and on the right is a screenshot from the video showing the same electrical pole and high-rise building.
If you look carefully at the video, you can see that it is a monsoon drain, and not a river.
According to the person on the video, the dead fish appears to be tilapia. That’s not surprising – tilapia are hardy freshwater fish that can often be found in these monsoon drains.
I should point out that monsoon drains collect waste water from the surrounding area to be treated or released into the sea. The waste water goes into the sea, not the other way around!
Fact #3 : Fish Are Sometimes Found Dead In Monsoon Drains
Even though tilapia are hardy fish, they can sometimes be found dead in monsoon drains. That can occur if toxic substances are poured into the monsoon drain, or drains that flow in.
In February 2022, for example, tilapia fish were found dead in Kulai, Johor. Similarly, over 1,000 dead fish was found floating in a monsoon drain in Taman Seraya, Ampang in October 2014.
Obviously, all those cases have nothing to do with the release of the Fukushima waste water in Japan on August 24, 2023.
Fact #4 : Fukushima Waste Water Cannot Fly…
Fukushima is over 5,000 kilometres away from Kuching, Sarawak, as the crow flies. It is quite impossible for the waste water released by the nuclear power station there to flow all the way here.
Even if the Fukushima waste water is a homing torpedo designed to attack Kuching, it would have to flow past Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam, to reach Sarawak. There would have been reports of dead fish from those countries, but of course, nothing of that sort happened.
But most importantly, the dead fish is located deep inland – some 20 kilometres away from the nearest seaside.
Even if the Japanese somehow designed the Fukushima waste water to attack Kuching, the waste water cannot fly over land to kill tilapia fish 20 kilometres inland!
Fact #5 : Pigeons Were Found Dead On 2 August 2023
It is true that 41 pigeons were found mysteriously dead at the Kuching Esplanade. However, that incident occurred on the morning of 2 August 2023.
The Fukushima-Daiichin NPS only started releasing its treated waste water more than 3 weeks later – on Thursday, 24 August 2023. So the dead birds were definitely not killed by the release of the treated radioactive water from Fukushima…
Unless the Japanese invented a time machine to go back in time to kill those birds with the treated waste water? Now that might make for a good movie plot!
Fact #6 : Kuching Pigeons Were Likely Poisoned
The Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) director Dr. Adrian Susin Ambud said that the department collected samples, and a preliminary investigation ruled out avian influenza (bird flu) as their cause of death. He believes that the pigeons were most likely poisoned.
The section of the Kuching Waterfront where the dead pigeons were found is known as a place where the public often feeds a large flock of pigeons. In fact, in this photo, you can see some bird food scattered on the roadside.
There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.
However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please watch out for the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones scam! Take a look at the scam, and find out what the facts really are!
Marshall Minor III Wireless Earphones Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook ads that promote an awesome discount for the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones! Here is one recent example:
😣”Frustrating” 😣I had to queue for 5 hours at IOI City Mall to buy MARSHALL MINOR III wireless headphones for only RM179 (original price RM596), I was surprised because I thought they only sold directly I heard it’s open for sale online in 2 more days https://www.marshall-ash.asia/ms And also get the same discount as buying at the store. Free shipping nationwide.
But the 4 hours of queuing was worth it. As a Marshall fan, I was very excited when I heard the news that the Minor III series was coming out. And don’t waste your time waiting, the design is very beautiful, more stylish than the old version 💯 Great sound quality. Clear bus, fast Bluetooth connection, suitable for all types of devices, super battery life, 5 hours of continuous use and 25 hours with charging box, waterproof. The best thing about these headphones is the close-to-ear design. Comfortable, can play sports without worrying about falling. If you don’t buy it, you will be very disappointed.
I let my colleagues borrow it to play games because it sounded so realistic. There is no delay in movement. Many people ask me if the store still has promotions? I just saw information that the store has a discount in the next 2 days. Order quickly. At the end of the promotion, the price will return to the original price of RM596. I leave the purchase link here for those who want to buy: https://www.marshall-ash.asia/ms
This is yet another example of SCAMS circulating on Facebook, and here are there reasons why…
Fact #1 : Marshall Minor III Price Absurdly Low
The first thing about scams involving electronics, is that they often promise ridiculous great deals. If it’s too good to be true, it often is just a scam.
In this particular scam, scammers are offering the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones for just RM179 (US$39). That’s absurd, as the Marshall Minor II wireless earphones has an official retail price of $159 (approximately RM699)!
Marshall is a high-end audiophile brand, and its electronics are never cheap. Even if they offer a discount, it wouldn’t be anything like 70% to 75%. That’s just ridiculous.
For your safety, here are legit purchase options online for the Marshall Minor III earbuds :
Fact #4 : IOI City Mall Does Not Have A Marshall Outlet
The claim by these scammers that Alvinn Chong queued up for 5 hours at the IOI City Mall to buy the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones is easily debunked.
If you check the IOI City Mall tenant listing, you will quickly discover that it does not have a Marshall outlet.
Fact #5 : Queue Photos Are From Vietnam
The two photos which claim to show long queues for the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones were not taken in Malaysia. They were actually taken in Vietnam.
This photo does not show people in IOI City Mall queueing up outside a Marshall outlet. It actually shows people queuing up for the opening of the 15th Pandora store at the Long Bien Aeon Mall, on 28 April 2022.
Incidentally, Pandora is a Danish jewellery brand, and does not sell Marshall audio products…
The second queue photo is also from Vietnam, but taken many years ago on 11 November 2017. It does not show people queuing up to buy any Marshall products either.
They were actually queuing up at Royal City Shopping Center in Hanoi, for the opening ceremony of the second H&M store in Vietnam.
Fact #6 : Scam Website Not Affiliated With ASH Asia
ASH Asia is an authorised distributor of Marshall products in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
However, the scam page (https://www.marshall-ash.asia/ms) has nothing to do with ASH Asia, whose official Marshall Minor III page is https://ash-asia.com/ms.
On top of that, ASH Asia does not sell the Marshall Minor III directly (like the scam page). Instead, ASH Asia sells the wireless earphones through Shopee and Lazada.
In fact, if you check the main domain itself, you will get an error message, stating:
Your domain name has been successfully pointed!Please publish a Landing Page with the above domain name to use the service.Thank you!
This not only gives it away as a scam website, it also suggests that the scammers are operating out of Vietnam.
Fact #7 : Scam Website Admits Selling Fake Marshall Minor III
Ironically, the scam website itself has a disclaimer, warning potential buyers that it is not selling genuine Marshall Minor III wireless earphones, but a replica instead…
Most people won’t notice it because if you click to order, the website is designed to skip past this warning.
To assure you that this is safe, the scammers say that you only need to pay on delivery. Sounds good, doesn’t it? That guarantees that you will at least receive the item, doesn’t it?
Not quite, as one person who claimed to have purchased from this scam website explained…
I was attracted and clicked in, filling in my address and phone number.Three days later, I got a call saying that my package would arrive through DHL-COD, and asked me to make sure I was home.
I started looking forward to it, but when I thought about it, I became more suspicious.Since when does DHL provide Cash On Delivery service? I can’t believe they would dare to pay for first-class service without any payment from me.I figured it might be a scam!
What’s the scam? You may not have any doubts when you receive the package. When I open it immediately and take a look, then I realized it was full of garbage. [Unfortunately] I had already paid the delivery person, who ran away.
If true, the scam involves giving you an empty package filled with trash to receive your cash payment. After which, you have no recourse.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Can the “Mexico Did It” photo infect your phone with a virus in just 5 seconds?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-13 : Revised for a new wave Originally posted @ 2022-11-07
Claim : “Mexico Did It” Photo Will Infect Your Phone With A Virus!
The warning about the “Mexico Did It” photo or image that will infect your phone with a virus keeps going… viral on WhatsApp and social media.
There are two versions so far – in English, and in Spanish.
FYI: They are going to publish an image that shows how Covid 19 is cured in Mexico and it is called “Mexico did it”, do not open it because it enters the phone in 5 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. It’s a virus. Pass it on to your friends and family. Now they also said it on CNN and BBC. DO NOT OPEN IT
Pass it on
Van a publicar una imagen que muestra como el Covid 19 se cura en Mexico y se llama “Mexico lo hizo” no lo abran porque entra al telefono en 5 segundos y no se puede frenar de ninguna forma. Es un virus. Pasenlo a sus familiares y amigos. Ahora lo dijeron tambien en CNN y BBC
Truth : There Is No “Mexico Did It” Photo / Virus!
This is just another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Viral Message Has Been Circulating Since 2021
The viral message about the “Mexico Did It” photo or virus has been circulating on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter since April 2021.
Fact #2 : This Is A Modified Version Of “Argentina Is Doing It”
This viral message is actually a modified version of an earlier fake message, which claims that a video on WhatsApp called “Argentina is doing it” will hack your phone in 10 seconds.
It just replaces Argentina with Mexico, a video with a photo, and changes it from a 10-second hack into a 5-second virus attack.
Those two fake news are, in turn, probably based on the even older fake claim that hackers are using greeting photos and videos to hack your phone.
Fact #3 : There Is No “Mexico Did It” Photo / Virus
There is no such thing as a “Mexico Did It” image or photo. Neither is there a virus called “Mexico Did It“.
There is also no known virus that can infect your phone with a virus simply using a photo or image.
Fact #4 : CNN + BBC Never Reported On Such A virus
It’s been over 2.5 years since this fake story first appeared on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, but neither CNN nor BBC has ever reported on a “Mexico Did It” virus.
Fact #5 : Image-Based Malware Is Possible, But…
Digital steganography is a method by which secret messages and other data can be hidden in digital files, like a photo or a video, or even a music file.
It is also possible to embed malicious code within a photo, but it won’t be a full-fledged malware that can execute by itself.
At most, it can be used to hide the malware payload from antivirus scanners, which is pretty clever to be honest… but it cannot hack your smartphone by itself.
Fact #6 : Image-Based Malware Requires User Action
In January 2019, cybercriminals created an online advertisement with a script that appears innocuous and would pass any malware check.
However, the image itself has an “almost white” rectangle that is recognised by the script, triggering it to redirect the user to the cybercriminals’ website. Once there, the victim is tricked into installing a Trojan disguised as an Adobe Flash Player update.
Such a clever way to bypass malware checks, but even so, this image-based malware requires user action.
You cannot get infected by the Trojan if you practice good “Internet hygiene” by not downloading or installing anything from unknown websites.
Fact #7 : Malicious Code Executes Immediately
If you accidentally download and trigger malware, it will execute immediately. It won’t take 5 seconds, as the hoax message claims.
Generally, malware won’t wait a few seconds before it infects your devices. Waiting will only increase the risk of detection.
Unless the malware creator designed it to only infect your phone when you are sleeping (like the early hours of the morning), it pays to execute immediately.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Here is what you need to know about the FDA import alert 99-33 on Japanese food over radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant!
Updated @ 2023-08-25 : Updated the article Originally posted @ 2023-03-21
Claim : FDA Issued Import Alert 99-33, Banning Japanese Food!
This message has gone viral on and off over the years, being shared again and again on WhatsApp, and social media. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice
A week ago, the US law came into force: 🎯 FDAIssued Alert No. 99-33, prohibiting the following 🅾️ Japanese food entering the US: 📎 Fresh milk, 📎 Butter, 📎Milk powder, 📎Baby milk powder, and others 📎Dairy products; 📎Vegetables, sweet potatoes, salt, and other products 📎Rice, 📎 Whole wheat; 📎Fish; 📎Meat and poultry; 📎Clams; 📎 sea urchin; 📎Citrus pomelo fruits; 📎 Apples, kiwis and other fruits.
❌The reason is radionuclide contamination. Japan finally admits that its inability to control Fukushima’s daily discharge of millions of tons of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean has caused many people to suffer from cancer or Disease has seriously affected human beings and the ecological environment around the world. I can’t imagine it! ❌Don’t eat Japanese food. 💢In the coastal waters of the United States, it was found that the radioactivity value is getting higher and higher. Try not to go to Japan, preferably not. 💢The Australian government has stopped visa issuance for Japanese, 💢 The US also stopped Japanese immigration to the US. At present, the situation in Japan is more serious than we imagined. More than 70% of the entire Japanese territory is polluted. Japan’s radioactive material has flowed into the ocean, and the affected area of the ocean is getting wider and wider. It is more serious than imagined. The Japanese government is afraid of causing panic, and they will give up or lie to inform the surrounding people. Japanese seafood, mushrooms do not eat. After the last earthquake, radioactive material from the damaged Japanese nuclear power plant began to flow into the ocean or surrounding areas, and began to find ❌Deformed seafood and plants ❌ Mutated mushrooms ❌ mutated fish, ❌Varied seafood, Foods exposed to radioactive substances will be induced within 1-2 years after eating 🅾️Esophageal cancer 🅾️Lymphoma 🅾️ Leukemia, etc., especially for young children, pregnant women will have a greater impact. Neighboring countries have stopped seafood trade with Japan: It is prohibited to import 📎herring, 📎shells, 📎shiitake mushrooms from Japan. The fish caught in the waters near Japan had 380 times the radioactivity. From now on, never eat Japanese seafood or sashimi. Since the nuclear explosion of the tsunami in Japan, a survey of Chinese tourists to Japan who have traveled to Japan and eaten Japanese food many times shows that there are strange diseases of varying degrees, and they are on the rise! And Japan’s radioactive nuclear-contaminated local products are all supplied to foreign tourists! Japan eats food imported from other countries! Dear friends and compatriots For the health of your loved ones and the next generation, please share it in your WeChat space, and immediately boycott all nuclear-contaminated food in Japan. Do not buy! Remember!
The Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) to scare people into boycotting Japan and Japanese food, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : FDA Issued Import Alert #99-33 In March 2011
On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by a massive tsunami triggered by a 9-magnitude earthquake off its Pacific coast. The force of the tsunami greatly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, contaminating the surrounding area with radioactive material.
The Government of Japan determined that certain food products in affected prefectures were therefore not fit for human consumption, due to the risk of contamination by the radioactive material. They banned those food products from sale within Japan, and for export.
The US FDA responded by issuing Import Alert #99-33 – “Detention Without Physical Examination of Products from Japan due to Radionuclide Contamination.”
This part of the viral post is true, but everything else is false.
Fact #2 : FDA Import Alert #99-33 Was Limited To Certain Prefectures
The FDA Import Alert #99-33 did not ban the import of all Japanese food products, as the viral post claimed.
It only targeted Japan’s own restrictions at the prefecture level, using Section 801(a)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act:
FDA-regulated products are subject to refusal and will be refused admission into the United States if the products appear to be forbidden or restricted for sale in the country in which they were produced or from which they were exported.
Fact #3 : FDA Cancelled Import Alert #99-33 In September 2021
On September 21, 2022, the US FDA deactivated (cancelled) Import Alert #99-33. Since then, there has been no ban on any food product from the five affected prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki.
Now, after an extensive analysis of Japan’s robust control measures that include decontamination, monitoring and enforcement; after reviewing the results of 10 years of sampling food products from Japan; and after determining a very low risk to American consumers from radioactive contaminated foods imported from Japan, FDA has decided that the IA is no longer necessary to protect public health and therefore should be deactivated.
Despite this cancellation of the import ban more than a year ago, the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) continues to spread this fake story on WhatsApp, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Fact #4 : Australia Did Not Stop Issuing Visa To Japanese Travellers
Australia never suspended visa issuance for Japanese travels over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Fact #5 : US Did Not Suspend Japanese Immigration
The United States never suspended immigration of Japanese citizens over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Fact #6 : Japan Did Not Supply Contaminated Food To Tourists
This claim has been repeatedly promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and is categorically false.
Japan did not reserve their contaminated food supply for consumption by tourists, while importing food for their own citizens. Neither did Chinese tourists to Japan suffer “strange diseases of varying degrees”.
Those are just lies created by the wumao to scare Chinese citizens into boycotting Japan and Japanese food products.
Fact #7 : Fukushima Radiation Only Affected A Small Area Of Japan
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident did not affect 70% of Japanese territory.
The Government of Japan established a 30 kilometre no-fly zone, and a 20 kilometre exclusion zone, around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Aerial survey of the radioactive caesium levels in May 2012 show that only a small part of Japan was affected.
Fact #8 : Harmful Radionuclides Were Removed From Wastewater
Both fresh water and seawater were used to cool down the melting nuclear fuel rods and spent fuel rods stored at the facility.
Measures were quickly taken to block the seepage of the contaminated wastewater into the sea and water table. For example, TEPCO poured a 60 cm-thick concrete wall covering 70,000 square meters of ocean seabed.
There were occasional accidental discharges of radioactive wastewater, but generally the radioactive wastewater was stored in massive storage tanks and treated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).
ALPS removed harmful radionuclides like caesium and strontium from the wastewater, leaving only tritium – a mildly radioactive and far less harmful hydrogen isotope.
Fact #9 : Decontaminated Wastewater Used To Keep Reactors Cooled
The water treatment system became fully-functional, together with water recycling systems on 3 July 2011.
The decontaminated wastewater thereafter is being 100% reused to keep the reactors cooler, so no additional volume of contaminated water would be generated.
Fact #10 : Excess Decontaminated Wastewater To Be Released
A large amount of treated wastewater remain at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and on April 13, 2021, the Government of Japan announced that the treated wastewater would be released in 2023.
The US FDA says that the treated wastewater presents an “extremely low” health risk even if consumed, which is rather minimised because it’s being discharged into the vast ocean.
According to scientific experts from interagency advisory teams and FDA representatives to the US Advisory Team for Environment, Food and Health, the release of the treated wastewater will have “no effect on the safety of foods imported from Japan“.
In other words, the FDA considers food from Japan to be perfectly safe to import and consume, even after the treated wastewater is released into the ocean.
This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
People are still claiming that Rab Wardell died from vaccine SADS, but that’s not true!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-06 : Updated with Rab Wardell’s official cause of death and other new details Originally posted @ 2022-09-03
Claim : Rab Wardell – Cause Of Death Was COVID-19 Vaccine!
It’s been almost a year since Rab Wardell died suddenly after he won the Scottish MTB XC Championships, but people continue to claim that the cyclist died from the COVID-19 vaccine. Here are just some examples circulating on social media :
rab wardell death read about rab wardell death cause #vaccine #StoptheShots🙀🙀🙀🙀
This is Mountain biker Rab Wardell speaking on TV last night about winning the Scottish championship 2 days ago.
He’s now dead, 37yrs old, “died in his sleep👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Rab Wardell another victim of the covid vaccine. How about that Fauci ?
RIP Rab. Huge fan. The truth of what the spike proteins from both the virus and the “vaccine” are doing to us is coming out, little by little. Your death will not be in vain. The truth is slowly but surely coming out.
Rab Wardell : Cause Of Death Was Not Vaccine SADS!
It’s becoming tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all athlete deaths or injuries on the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Rab Wardell Died From Athlete’s Heart
37 year-old Scottish cyclist Rab Wardell died on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 – just two days after winning the Scottish MTB XC Championships, and hours after appearing on BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme to talk about that victory.
Almost immediately, anti-vaccination activists started claiming that he died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.
The next day, his wife – Katie Archibald – spoke out, explaining that Rab Wardell died from a cardiac arrest he suffered while they were in bed together.
I think you’ve heard that Rab died yesterday morning. I still don’t understand what’s happened; if this is real; why he’d be taken now – so healthy and happy.
He went into cardiac arrest while we were lying in bed. I tried and tried, and the paramedics arrived within minutes, but his heart stopped and they couldn’t bring him back.
Mine stopped with it. I love him so much and need him here with me. I need him here so badly, but he’s gone. I can’t describe this pain.
Almost a year later – on 31 July 2023, Katie revealed Rab Wardell’s official cause of death – hypertrophy of the left ventricle, which is also known as athlete’s heart. She wondered if Wardell might still be alive if he had not returned to elite level competition.
Maybe if he had just stayed being a bit inconsistent, a bit s—…
Fact #2 : Rab Wardell Was Likely Fully-Vaccinated
While there is no direct evidence that Rab Wardell was vaccinated against COVID-19, he travelled a fair bit in 2021 – mostly to Europe and Canada.
The European Union and Canada both require non-residents to be fully-vaccinated. While it is possible to enter with a vaccine exemption, it is far more likely that Rab Wardell was fully-vaccinated.
Fact #3 : Rab Wardell Did Not Get Pericarditis From Vaccine
A number of blogs posted claimed that Rab Wardell suffered a serious adverse event after getting his second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the summer of 2021, after which he attended a rally in Washington DC to speak up against the vaccine :
Following his second dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine last summer, Warner suffered a serious adverse event and was diagnosed with pericarditis. Subsequently, at a rally in Washington DC, he opened up about his experience in front of thousands of rallygoers.
“We were advocating for some acknowledgment and support for people whose lives have been affected by emergency use authorized vaccines.
I hope you can hear my message and understand why I decided to advocate for this cause. It was not something I had planned or wanted to do, but the truth needed to be revealed,” Warner said in an Instagram post.
There are a few problems with that claim.
the quote appears to be referring to someone called Warner, not Wardell.
Rab Wardell never travelled the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Rab Wardell never said he suffered pericarditis from any COVID-19 vaccine.
In October 2021, Rab Wardell was in Italy for the Marathon World Championships when he shared that it was the first time he flew overseas since the pandemic began.
After he returned from Italy, he mostly stayed in Scotland and only travelled to Mallorca and London. In other words, he cannot be that “Warner” who spoke out against vaccines in a Washington D.C. rally in the summer of 2021.
Wardell also shared that he contracted COVID-19 in May 2021, but never once mentioned that he suffered from pericarditis when he detailed his last 18 months since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Such an adverse event would have materially affected his training and put him out of action for a few weeks. Yet, he had no issues preparing for the Marathon World Championships.
Fact #4 : No Evidence COVID-19 Vaccines Cause SADS
After billions of doses have been administered, there is still no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause SADS. In fact, this is a rather ludicrous claim as SADS was first documented in 1977 – long before COVID-19 vaccines were invented!
SADS also occurs at a rate of 0.12 to 0.21 per 100,000 people every single year. In other words, approximately 9,000 to 16,000 people die from SADS every single year, before the COVID-19 vaccines were invented.
Despite what anti-vaccination activists may tell you – SADS is not a new vaccine-related syndrome.
SADS is usually caused by an abnormal heart rhythm that leads to a cardiac arrest. That’s why it can be prevented by implanting a cardioverter-defribillator.
Fact #5 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
Even if Rab Wardell was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, he would have received all of his doses many months ago.
He cannot possibly have died from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #6 : Deaths / Injuries From COVID-19 Vaccines Can Be Proven
Despite anti-vaccination activists chalking up celebrity deaths to the vaccine; death or injury from rare vaccine adverse effects like anaphylaxis, myocarditis and VITT can be proven.
Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) from Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines happens within minutes. That’s why people are asked to wait for 15-30 minutes after getting the vaccine. People who get an anaphylactic shock will require an epinephrine shot to quickly relieve it.
Vaccine-induced myocarditis has distinct histopathology findings that are different from typical myocarditis, so a pathologist will be able to determine if the myocarditis was caused by the vaccines or otherwise.
Vaccine-induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) is very specific to the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. It is also easily differentiated by its unique combination of blood clots in large veins of the brains, abdomen and lungs, together with low platelet counts leading to bleeding tendencies.
Fact #7 : Many Athletes Die Unexpectedly Every Year
What many of us do not realise is that many athletes die unexpectedly every year, and the number has been steadily increasing every year.
This chart from the Maron study shows a progressive rise in sudden death reports of 6% per year, from 1980 to 2006.
In fact, the number of sudden deaths in young and fit athletes more than quadrupled from 1980 to 2006!
This debunks the claim that such a rise in sudden death must be due to the COVID-19 vaccine, which obviously did not exist back then.
COVID-19 vaccines underwent massive clinical trials, and were only approved after they were proven to be safe and effective.
In addition, they were constantly monitored after they received their approvals, which picked up rare side effects after they were administered to billions of people.
Anti-vaccination activists have often claimed that those who received the vaccine would die. Yet, the opposite was true – the vaccines are not only safe, they are effective in protecting people from getting hospitalised or dying from COVID-19.
Even prominent antivaxxer Steve Kirsch is healthy and well, despite being fully-vaccinated against COVID-19!
Fact #9 : COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Claims Often Proven False
This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing athlete deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
So far, most claims of athlete deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false.
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next athlete tragedy…
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Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
A photo allegedly showing the new US ambassador to Jamaica and his wife at a party has gone viral on social media! Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-07-31 : Added fact check video, and photo of Joyce Perry Originally posted @ 2023-07-29
Claim : This Is New US Ambassador To Jamaica + His Wife!
This photo that allegedly shows the new US ambassador to Jamaica and his wife at a party has gone viral on social media, with people claiming that Jamaica has refused to accredit them as a couple because they are gay!
George Njoroge : The new US Ambassador to Jamaica and his ‘wife’. Jamaica is refusing to accredit them as a couple as they don’t recognise gay marriages.
The US in turn is refusing to renew the diplomatic status of Jamaican Ambassador to US and Consulate General in Miami… A diplomatic row is brewing 😅
JustSociety : This is the new US ambassador to Jamaica and his wife. Jamaica is in a rage over this but the US says they will cut off all aid to Jamaica if they do not let him and his wife go there to do their job. 🤷
That Lunda Guy : The New US ambassador to Jamaica with his wife, Jamaica refusing to accredit them as Jamaica doesn’t recognize gay marriages. The Us is planning to close down Jamaican consulate in Miami.
Truth : This Is Not The US Ambassador To Jamaica + His Wife!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS designed to disparage the LGBT community, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Jamaica Refused To Accredit Spouse Of US Diplomat
First, let me start by pointing out that this fake photo appears to be circulating over claims that the Jamaican government is refusing to accredit the spouse of an incoming US diplomat, because same-sex marriage is not recognised in Jamaica.
The Jamaican media also claimed that the US State Department has retaliated by refusing to extend the stay of some Jamaican diplomats.
Jamaican authorities, including Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamina Johnson Smith, allegedly argued that accrediting the gay spouse of that US diplomat would be in breach of the Jamaican constitution.
However, the Jamaican ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, has downplayed those reports, saying that US denials to the extension for serving diplomats are nothing new, and not related to the current diplomatic spat.
Over the past two years, we have requested a few extensions, and some were denied. The fact is that the USA gave two years’ notice of this policy change, and many persons who were or will be affected have been here for well over five years.
Such long-term stays in the US were never the intent of these work visas when they were issued, so this policy is an effort by the USA to return to the diplomatic accreditations’ original intent. As a government, we agree and respect this policy position.
Marks also explained that the US requested to extend diplomatic privileges and immunity to the same-sex spouse on June 20, 2023. Jamaica declined the request on July 5, and contrary to claims, the United States did not repeat their request:
Based on the foregoing, and the timeliness of the response, it is clear that the request by the United States was not ignored and contrary to reports, no ‘second demand’ was made.
Fact #2 : That Was Photo Of Conchita Wurst + Andre Karsai
The viral photo is actually of famous Austrian singer and drag queen, Conchita Wurst, and her business manager and the executive director of her company, Andre Karsai.
Conchita is actually the drag queen persona of Thomas Neuwirth, with a fictional backstory – Conchita was born in the mountains of Colombia, and married to French burlesque dancer Jacques Patriaque (Neuwirth’s actual friend)
He says this Conchita Wurst persona is similar to Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce alter-ego, and uses it as a way to protect his private life.
Neuwirth is gay but not a trans woman. He uses the he/him pronouns when referring to himself, but uses she/her to describe his Conchita Wurst character.
Conchita Wurst is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. She also had a cameo in the 2020 movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Here is an interesting fact about the character’s name. Conchita is a Spanish slang word for vagina, while Wurst is a German slang word for penis. So Conchita Wurst literally means vagina penis!
In 2019, Neuwirth introduced a new mononymous persona called WURST, which would allow for a “more masculine expression”.
Fact #3 : That Photo Was Taken At 2019 Vienna Opera Ball
The viral photo was taken at the Vienna Opera Ball that took place 28 February, 2019, by Jeff Mangione of Kurier magazine. Here is Conchita Wurst with the Austrian Minister of Justice, Dr. Josef Moser.
And this was her Instagram post at Wiener Opernball 2019 :
Fact #4 : No Evidence US Is Closing Jamaica Consulate In Miami
Embassies and consulates are legally considered to be the territory of the country they represent. Therefore, the Jamaica consulate in Miami is legally Jamaican territory.
While the US can order the closure of embassies and consulates, and expel the foreign diplomatic staff, this only happens when there is a serious deterioration of relations.
There is no evidence that the US is planning to order the closure of the Jamaican consulate in Miami.
Fact #5 : US Ambassador To Jamaica Is N. Nick Perry
The US Ambassador to Jamaica is Noah Nickolas Perry, who assumed his office on May 13, 2022, after being confirmed in the US Senate on March 10, 2022.
To be clear – he remains the US Ambassador to Jamaica. Furthermore, he is not in a same-sex marriage – his wife is Joyce Perry, who bore him two children.
Vice President Kamala Harris administers the oat of office for US Ambassador to Jamaica N. Nick Perry, with his wife, Joyce Perry, holding the family bible, May 9, 2022
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Russian missiles hit British ships that exploded and destroyed the port of Odessa in Ukraine?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Russian Missiles Destroyed Port Of Odessa In Ukraine!
Pro-Russian propagandists and supporters (vatniks) are promoting a video that claims to show Russian missiles hitting two British ships carrying explosives, trigging a massive explosion that destroyed the port of Odessa in Ukraine!
BULLSEYE ! 🎯.
The port of Odessa, Ukraine, was hit by four Russian missiles that hit two British cargo ships that were just below the ground, triggering a massive EXPLOSION.
Great shot. Brits ships carrying high explosives to Ukraine . . mischief tsk tsk ! 🤔🤨😱
The video, which is about 1 minute and 55 seconds long, is also being shared by Chinese netizens in the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), and by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) in WhatsApp and Western social media platforms.
Truth : Russian Missiles Did Not Destroy Odessa Or British Ships!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Those Videos Are Over 3 Years Old!
First, let me start by pointing out that this incident did not occur in 2023. The videos were actually recorded at approximately 6 PM on Tuesday, 4 August 2020.
The explosions not only occurred 18 months before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, they occurred almost 3 years ago!
Fact #2 : The Explosions Occurred In Beirut, Not Odessa
The massive explosions in the viral video did not occur in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, but literally – a thousand miles away, at the port city of Beirut, Lebanon.
On 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in Warehouse 12 at the port of Beirut. Warehouse 12 contained 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, as well as fireworks.
About 20 minutes later, the first explosion at the warehouse sent a large cloud of smoke billowing into the evening sky, with bright firework flashes.
Then 35 seconds later, the fire triggered a much larger explosion with a massive shock wave that rocked Beirut, and was felt as far away as Israel and Cyprus – more than 240 kilometres away!
The force of the explosion was estimated to be around 500 to 1,100 tons of TNT, with the US Geological Survey measuring the event as equivalent to a 3.3 magnitude earthquake!
Even though many Western countries have provided Ukraine with billions in dollars worth of military equipment and other forms of aid, they are not being delivered with ships. That’s because Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea.
Even though ships were allowed to enter the port of Odessa under the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, they were only allowed to transport grain and other food products, and fertiliser.
Ships involved in this initiative were inspected to ensure they would not be carrying unauthorised cargo or people. So it is impossible for any British ship to transport high explosives to the Port of Odessa.
Fact #4 : UK Aid Are Delivered By Land + Air
The United Kingdom provides billions of dollars worth of military equipment, including high explosives and ammunition to Ukraine. However, none of them are being delivered through ships due to the Russian naval blockade, as mentioned above.
Instead, the military equipment and other aid are being delivered through at least three NATO countries adjoining Ukraine. To avoid accusations that NATO is directly involved in the Ukraine War, the equipment are transported or flown to the Ukrainian border.
After that, Ukrainians either transport the equipment over the border, or take possession of them at the border.
Ultimately, the viral video is yet another example of Russian propaganda, which is shoddy as usual. However, it is being shared and promoted by Chinese netizens, and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Take a look at the viral confrontation between Nelson Mandela and Professor Peters, and find out what really happened!
Claim : Nelson Mandela Schooled Professor Peters On Wisdom + Money!
This viral confrontation between Nelson and Professor Peters have gone viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, for many years. It’s very long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
When Nelson Mandela was studying law at the University, a white professor, whose last name was Peters, disliked him intensely.
One day, Mr. Peters was having lunch at the dining room when Mandela came along with his tray & sat next to the professor.
The professor said, “Mr Mandela , you do not understand, a pig & a bird do not sit together to eat.”
Mandela looked at him as a parent would a rude child & calmly replied, “You do not worry professor. I’ll fly away,” & he went & sat at another table.
Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take revenge.
The next day in class he posed the following question: “Mr. Mandela , if you were walking down the street & found a package, & within was a bag of wisdom & another bag with money, which one would you take ?”
Without hesitating, Mandela responded, “The one with the money, of course.”
Mr. Peters , smiling sarcastically said, “I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom.”
Nelson Mandela shrugged & responded, “Each one takes what he doesn’t have.“
Mr. Peters, by this time was about to throw a fit, seething with fury. So great was his anger that he wrote on Nelson Mandela’s exam sheet the word “IDIOT” & gave it to the future struggle icon.
Mandela took the exam sheet & sat down at his desk trying very hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move.
A few minutes later, Nelson Mandela got up, went to the professor & told him in a dignified polite tone,
“Mr. Peters, you signed your name on the sheet, but you forgot to give me my grade.”
Don’t mess with intelligent people… pass it on to your intellectual friends…
Truth : Mandela + Professor Peters Confrontation Did NOT Happen
As hilarious as the viral confrontation between Nelson Mandela and Professor Peters is, it never happened, and here are there reasons why…
Fact #1 : Nelson Mandela Studied Law From 1943-1949
Nelson Mandela studied at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, from 1943 to 1949.
At that time, Mandela was the first African law student at Wits, which only recently opened its doors to students of all races.
Fact #2 : There Is No Record Of Professor Peters
There is no record of a Professor Peters teaching law at the University of Witwatersrand. Neither were there any Mr. Peters, or even a student named Peters in his class.
In the following 1949 photo of Nelson Mandela’s final year law class, we can see that none of them are named Peters:
Back: A.K.I. Vahed, Nelson Mandela, Norbert Magzamen, Max Levenberg
Third Row: Henry Nathanson, R.N. Bhoolia, Johann Möller, J.A.E. ‘Balie’ de Klerk, Harry Schwarz
Second Row: Julian Phillips, Mrs Stutzen, Unity Ann Victor
Front: Daphne de Klerk (née Clark), Ellison Kahn, F.R. Hahlo, J.E. Scholtens, Exton M. Burchell
Nelson Mandela at University of the Witswatersrand, 1944
Fact #3 : There Is No Record Of Such A Confrontation
Mandela’s authoritative autobiography – Long Walk to Freedom, did not mention any confrontation with a white professor called Mr. Peters. Neither do the many biographies written about Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela only recounted his interactions with the Dean of Law – Professor H.R. Hahlo at University of Witwatersrand (Wits). However, those interactions were nowhere along the lines of the viral Mr. Peters confrontation.
In 1943, Nelson at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, which only recently opened its doors to students of all races. Mandela was treated as “an alien”, rather than with the respect and consideration shown to other students.
He recounted how the Dean of Law, Professor H.R. Hahlo, said that the African mind was “not suited to the study and practice of law”.
His view was that law was a social science and that women and Africans were not disciplined enough to master its intricacies. – Nelson Mandela in his autobiography
Nelson Mandela sat for the final LLB examinations on three occasions, from 1947 to 1949, but failed to qualify for the degree, because the stringent rules was applied particularly stringently. On his last try, Mandela was refused to write three supplementary examination papers on the grounds that the rules only allowed for two.
We also know that Mandela applied to Wits to write his final LLB examinations in late 1974 while he was imprisoned on Robben Island. His application form was intercepted by the Department of Prisons, which had earlier obstructed his attempt to complete a London University LLB.
Only in 1989, a year before his release, did Nelson Mandela qualify for his LLB through the correspondence university, the University of South Africa (UNISA) – 46 years after he started his legal studies at the University of Witwatersrand.
However, Nelson Mandela never mentioned a Professor Peters, Mr. Peters, or such a confrontation with any of his lecturers.
Fact #4 : Gandhi Had Same Confrontation With Professor Peters!
Amazingly, Mahatma Gandhi who studied at the University College London (UCL) in October, 1888, had the exact, same viral confrontation with Professor Peters!
Needless to say – that is because this story was completely made up, and people are just swapping out the name of the “genius” with whoever they want.
It was Gandhi earlier, Mandela today, and probably tomorrow, it will be Albert Einstein confronting the same Professor Peters the exactly same way!
This is ultimately just an inspirational but FAKE STORY misappropriating a dead famous person’s name to make it go viral, while ensuring he is not around to dispute it.
It is good for a chuckle or two, but always with the understanding that this incident never happened, and is a complete lie.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS, by sharing this fact check out, so other people won’t be fooled by it!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
How do people magically sort balls according to their colours?!
Take a look at the viral videos, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Galton Boards Can Magically Sort Balls By Colour!
People are sharing videos showing coloured balls being magically sorted into their individual colours using Galton boards!
In these videos, a mix of coloured balls are allowed to drop into a simple Galton board, and they somehow fall into separate colours according to their colours!
How is that possible? Are these special sorting boards with magnets that control where the balls fall? Or do these balls have different weights so they would fall in a special pattern?
Truth : Galton Boards Can Magically Sort Balls By Colour!
This is yet another example of FAKE VIDEOS circulating on WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Those Are Galton Boards
Let me just start by pointing out that the devices or boards you see in those videos are known as Galton boards.
Named after its inventor – English scientist Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911), the Galton board is also known as the quincunx, or the bean machine.
The original Galton board consists of a vertical board with interleaved rows of pegs. Beads or small balls are dropped from the top, falling left or right as they hit each peg.
When each ball reaches a peg, it has a 50% chance of choosing a right or left path. Each ball repeats the process at each peg. Eventually, all those balls fall into different bins at the bottom.
Fact #2 : Galton Boards Do Not Sort Balls
Galton boards are not designed to sort balls, whether by weight, size or colour. In fact, real Galton boards use beads or balls of the same colour, size and weight. So there really is no sorting of any sort.
The Galton board is used to demonstrate the central limit theorem – that the binomial distribution approximates a normal distribution with a bell curve, when the sample size is large enough. At the end of a traditional Galton board demonstration, the height of the balls in each bin approximate a bell curve (see photo below).
However, the Galton board can be modified to demonstrate other distributions by changing the shape of the pins, or using a bimodal design. For example, you can create a Galton board to show a log-normal distribution by using isosceles triangles of different widths to “multiply” the distance the ball travels.
The reason why the balls in those viral videos were able to be sorted so accurately into the same colours is because all those videos were computer-generated using 3D graphics software like Blender or Maya.
One of the viral videos was created by Konstantin Otrembsky – a Russian visual effects artist who works for Channel One Russia. Konstantin posted his video on his Vimeo channel, stating clearly that “it’s a joke video which was made to provoke people to suggest all kinds of theories“, and was created “just for fun“.
Unfortunately, many of these videos are being shared and reposted to mislead people… or simply to generate views or increase the popularity of their social media accounts.
Fact #4 : The Balls Were Coloured After Baking Simulation
You may be wondering how do these content creators actually ensure that the coloured balls fall correctly into the bins according to their individual colour.
For starters, they use 3D graphics software like Blender or Maya to build a virtual Galton board model. They can then run simulations using real physics to see how the balls fall.
If necessary, they can modify the Galton board design, or even the weight of different balls to change the distribution. However, even they cannot simulate the proper sorting of the balls according to their colours.
While it is possible to run enough simulations to create such a video, it would require A LOT of simulation runs and adjustments. Too much work for what’s supposed to be a fun video.
What they do instead is bake the simulation, and then colour the balls after they have fallen. Because the simulation has been baked, the balls will fall exactly the same way again and again. Then all they have to do is render the baked simulation with the coloured balls into a video.
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Oprah Winfrey just die suddenly in the hospital from a dangerous disease, or after committing suicide in her living room?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Oprah Winfrey Just Died Suddenly In Hospital!
A multitude of videos are claiming that Oprah Winfrey just died suddenly in the hospital. One even claimed that she committed suicide in her living room!
Breaking News: American media proprietor Oprah Winfrey was found dead on her residence right after committing suicide on her living room
RIP…Oprah Winfrey’s Tears Of Grief: ‘She Passed Away Today And My Life Will Never…
RIP…Oprah Winfrey Left Fans In Tears & Devastating, She Died Suddenly and Tragically…
Oprah Winfrey Is Dead. Last Video a week Before Death. RIP Legend
5 minutes ago/ We report extremely sad news about TV Queen Oprah Winfrey, Sad details.
Prayers Up: Oprah Winfrey Is Currently On Her Death Bed And Family Asking For Prayers
Prayers Up, Oprah Winfrey Is Currently On Life Support After Diagnosed With Dangerous Disease.
Sad News Oprah Winfrey Tearfully Begged For Help As She Is Fighting For Her Life In ICU
Prayers Up: Oprah Winfrey Rushed To Hospital In Critical Condition After Suffering From This
Officially! funeral of Oprah Winfrey confirmed / 30 minutes ago
Truth : Oprah Winfrey Did Not Die Suddenly In A Hospital!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media, and YouTube, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Oprah Winfrey Is Still Alive + Well!
Oprah Winfrey (born Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954) is still very much alive and well, as of July 12, 2023.
That was when she posted on Facebook about the fourth episode of “The Covenant of Water: The Podcast” with Abraham Verghese!
A day earlier – on July 11, she posted a video of herself speaking about her Love & Happiness Journal.
To be clear – Oprah Winfrey was not hospitalised for any serious disease. She did not commit suicide, or die in the hospital. She is still alive and well!
Fact #2 : No Legitimate Media Reported Her Death
These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Oprah Winfrey’s death or suicide.
Oprah Winfrey is the “Queen of All Media” and one of the most influential woman in the world. If anything happened to her – even if she just fell down, it would have been worldwide news.
Yet, no legitimate media outlet reported that Oprah was hospitalised or died suddenly in a hospital from any cause. Only a bunch of small-time YouTube channels?!
That’s because it never happened. Oprah Winfrey is still alive, period.
Fact #3 : Scammers Using Fake Oprah Winfrey Death Video
Scammers were found to use a fake video claiming that Oprah Winfrey committed suicide to trick people into installing malware.
The “shocking video” was found to be linked to a fake Fox News Facebook app that, when installed, will request for permission to access the user’s basic information, and post on their behalf.
You should NEVER install any app to view any video, and you should certainly not allow any app to post on your behalf!
Note that scammers may send you the scam links via text messages. Even though telcos have now banned links in SMS messages, scammers can send you similar messages via WhatsApp or Telegram.
Fact #4 : Oprah Winfrey Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Oprah Winfrey death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.
News of television host Oprah Winfrey’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the July 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the former host of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ is alive and well.
Rumors of the television host’s alleged demise gained traction on Thursday after a ‘R.I.P. Oprah Winfrey’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American television host’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Thursday (July 13, 2023), our beloved television host Oprah Winfrey passed away. Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko. She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 69-year-old television host was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Oprah Winfrey Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake excuse for writing about fake celebrity deaths.
She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is JPJ now installing AES CCTV cameras with AI technology to monitor what drivers do at traffic lights?!
Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : JPJ Is Installing AES CCTV Cameras With AI Tech!
People are sharing a photo on WhatsApp and social media platforms, claiming that the Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) has started installing AES CCTV cameras at with AI technology.
These new AES (Automated Enforcement System) CCTV cameras are apparently using artificial intelligence to monitor what drivers do at traffic lights, and catch them committing crimes like using their smartphone / mobile phone.
JPJ sudah bermula memasang CCTV A.I AES yang dapat merakam video apa yang kamu sedang buat di Traffik light… yang selalu main Henfon semasa menunggu lampu Hijau… sila berjaga jaga ya.. sekali kena saman jangan cakap tak bagi amaran pula..
JPJ has started installing CCTV A.I AES that can record video of what you are doing at the traffic light… who are always playing with their smartphones while waiting for the green light… please be careful.. once you get a summons, don’t say no one warned you..
Truth : JPJ Is NOT Installing AES CCTV Cameras With AI Tech!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why!
Fact #1 : It Was Installed As Proof Of Concept Trial
First, let me just confirm that the JPJ has not initiated any widespread project to install CCTV cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) technology at traffic lights.
The camera was installed as a proof of concept trial, which was launched on Tuesday, 4 July 2023, as “Proof of Concept : AI Violation Detection CCTV“.
The viral photo was issued by the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS), together with the official press release.
Fact #2 : Camera Was Only Installed In Miri
Only one AI Violation Detection CCTV camera was installed, and it was installed at the Jalan Merbau intersection facing the Bintang Megamall in Miri, Sarawak.
The Sarawak Ministry of Transportation (MOTS) specifically chose that location, because it was an accident-prone area.
Fact #3 : Trial Only Lasts For Six Months
This proof-of-concept trial is only set to last for six months, according to Sarawak Transportation Minister, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin:
The trial period would be six months and the results will be presented to the ministry to decide on the next course of action.
Fact #4 : CCTV Camera Monitors + Records Driver Behaviour
The AI Violation Detection CCTV camera is designed to automatically monitor and record driver behaviour at the intersection, including:
collecting data on vehicle speed and details
automatically detecting and recording speeding vehicles
recording driver offences like using mobile phones, smoking, and not wearing seatbelts while driving
The objective is to collect data on driver behaviour, traffic flow and volume in addition to vehicle colour, classification, model and make.
In addition, to collect data on the speed of travel and vehicle registration number, automatically detect and record vehicles exceeding the speed limit and record the offenses of drivers using mobile phones, smoking and not wearing seat belts while driving.
Data collected from the system will be analysed to gain a better insight into traffic behaviour, identify high-risk areas, as well as enable data-driven decisions to be made by the ministry and enforcement agencies to improve road safety.
Fact #5 : Such Cameras Are The Future
Even though this is just a time-limited trial run, automatic monitoring and reporting of traffic offences by AI-enabled CCTV cameras are the future, because they allow the police to better catch bad driving behaviour without requiring massive manpower.
As Dato Sri Lee shared, the AI Violation Detection CCTV camera caught a repeat offender speeding on eight occasions within one week at the intersection.
The automatic monitoring of driver behaviour through CCTV cameras is common in China, where state surveillance has long been the norm. Chinese cameras are pervasive, albeit not always accurate.
Still, it is just a matter of time before before such cameras are deployed in Malaysia, and other countries around the world. In other words – this fake news may not stay “fake news” for long…
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
On Friday, July 7, 2023, Perak Police Chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri refuted the viral claims that the video showed a landslide crushing cars on the Gopeng-Tapah road. He said that a check by the police confirmed that the incident happened overseas.
The incident did not happen in Perak but overseas.
Fact #4 : This Is Just Another Fake Video
This is just another example of fake videos misappropriated to create controversies. Here are some other recent examples you may have seen recently:
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did African migrants just riot and destroy the historical Alcazar Library in Marseille, France?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : African Migrants Just Destroyed Alcazar Library!
People are sharing a video of the historical Alcazar Library burning, after being allegedly destroyed by African migrants who were rioting in France.
Stew Peters : The Alcazar Library in Marseille is the largest library in France, containing an archive of one million historically significant documents.
African migrants just TORCHED it.
Christian Pilgrim : WATCH: Rioters have burned down the largest library in France.
The Alcazar library in Marseille included an archive of one million historically significant archives.
VVC Watch : The Alcazar Library in Marseille is the largest in France, containing an archive of one million historically significant documents. African migrants just TORCHED it. #vvcwatch
Some also claim that the video shows the National Library in Paris on fire, not the Alcazar library.
Truth : African Migrants Did Not Destroy Alcazar Library!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : People Were Rioting Over Nahel Merzouk
First, I should quickly point out that the June 2023 riots in France had nothing to do with migrants in France, whether they are African or otherwise.
People in France were not rioting over migrant rights, but rather, the death of Nahel Merzouk – a 17 year-old French youth of Moroccan and Algerian descent, who was shot and killed by the police in Nanterre on 27 June 2023.
That morning, two Paris Police Prefecture motorcycle police officers saw Nahel Merzouk driving a Mercedes-Benz A Class AMG with a Polish licence plate at high speed in a bus lane.
They tried to flag it down, but Nahel continued to flee, committing several traffic offences in the process. But he was eventually forced to stop due to traffic congestion.
That was when the two police officers got off their motorcycles and ordered him to turn off the engine. When Nahel started to pull away again, one of the police officers fire a shot at him because he claim Nahel was about to run him over. The car continued for a distance before crashing into street furniture.
However, a 50-second video was later released, showing that neither police officers were in danger of being run over by Nahel. A passenger in Nahel’s vehicle also testified that the police officer hit Merzouk with the butt of his gun several times, and the third buttstroke made Nahel release the brake pedal, causing the car to move forward as it was an automatic car.
Those revelations caused a great public outcry and outrage, that quickly turned into protests and riots in many parts of France.
Fact #2 : Rioters Attempted To Set Alcazar Library On Fire
On the night of Thursday, June 29, 2023, rioters attempted to set the Alcazar library in Marseille on fire. They broke some of its windows, and tried to set its entrance on fire.
However, the rioters did not succeed in entering the Alcazar library, or set it on fire. Its entrance was only lightly torched. It was boarded up the next day.
There is also no evidence that the rioters who tried to set the Alcazar library on fire were migrants, or Africans.
Fact #3 : Viral Video Is Of Manila Central Post Office Fire
The video that went viral on social media does not show the Alcazar Library on fire. Rather, the video showed the Manila Central Post Office (MCPO) which caught fire on Sunday, May 21, 2023.
The fire started in its basement at 11:41 PM that night, but firefighters had trouble controlling it. It was finally controlled at 7:22 AM on May 22, and finally put out at 6:33 AM the next day, on May 23, 2023.
18 persons were wounded in the incident – 16 firefighters, a fire volunteer, and a civilian. 300 million pesos worth of assets, including national identification cards were destroyed or damaged.
Even worse was the loss of the heritage building. The Manila Central Post Office was a 97 year-old building which was a “classic example of Western architecture that existed between two world wars“.
Fact #4 : French National Library Not On Fire Either
Claims that the video shows the French National Library in Paris on fire are also false.
Elodie Vincent, a spokesperson for Bibliothèque nationale de France, confirmed in an email that the French National Library was unharmed during the Nahel protests and riots.
I should also point out that the French National Library is the largest library in France, not the Alcazar Library.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Does the last video of the OceanGate Titan sub show it exploring the Titanic wreck before imploding suddenly?!
Take a look at the viral videos, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : This Is The Last Video Of Titan Sub At Titanic Wreck!
People are sharing what they claim are the leaked last video showing the OceanGate Titan sub exploring the Titanic wreck before imploding suddenly!
supremewarlock2.0 : this is lost footage of the missing titan submarine that was recovered in the bebris found by divers. the camera was apart the the titansub but got detracted due to faulty installment and pressure. #missingsubmarineupdate #missingsubmarine #titanic #titansubmarine #titansub #subarmineimpolded #rip #fyp
Truth : OceanGate Titan Sub Last Videos Are All Fake!
This is yet another example of FAKE VIDEOS created by “content creators” to generate views and/or controversy, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : There Are No Videos Of Titan Sub On Its Last Dive
First, I should just quickly point out that no videos were recorded of the OceanGate Titan at the Titanic wreck during its ill-fated dive on 18 June 2023.
It was the only submersible / submarine known to be in the area, and it was at a depth of almost 4,000 metres / 13,000 feet when it imploded.
No diver can dive that low, and there are no other deep-diving submersibles / submarines nearby. So it is impossible for anyone to have recorded its descent or its exploration of the Titanic wreck from outside.
Fact #2 : Some Of The Videos Are Computer Simulations
Some of the viral videos are computed-generated simulations of what an implosion of the OceanGate Titan sub might look like.
Unfortunately, it looks like they are being misappropriated and passed off as real implosion videos of the Titan sub on WhatsApp, TikTok, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Fact #3 : Wreck Video Was From Barbados Submarine
One particular video called MISSING TITANIC SUBMARINE FOOTAGE BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE!! went viral on Facebook, claiming to show the leaked footage of the Titanic wreck recorded from inside the Titan sub before it imploded.
The truth is – that video was recorded from an Atlantis submarine touring the Lord Willoughby shipwreck that sank near Barbados in 1976. That was a real submarine operating in Barbados, and not a submersible like the OceanGate Titan.
The Lord Willoughby wreck sits in just sixty feet / 18 metres of water, so it is bright enough to view without external lighting. The Titanic wreck, on the other hand, is in pitch darkness at almost 4 kilometres / 2.5 miles deep!
Fact #4 : Some Are GTA V Gameplay Videos With Titan Mod
There are also quite a number of videos that claim to show the OceanGate Titan sub exploring the Titanic wreck before it imploded. In all likelihood, the Titan sub imploded before it even reached the wreck.
But what is certain is that those are just gameplay videos from the Grand Theft Auto V game, using the OceanGate Titan submarine mod that was released on June 22, 2023.
Because of the intense interest in the Titan sub tragedy, the Titan sub mod went viral, with many GTA V gamers using it to play at piloting it underwater.
Unfortunately, some people are using the Titan sub mod in GTA V to create videos that they are passing off as real videos of the OceanGate Titan sub.
Fact #5 : They Are Just Fake Videos
This is just another example of fake videos created to generate views and/or controversies. Here are some other recent examples you may have seen recently:
Because there is still so much interest in the OceanGate Titan tragedy, you can expect more fake videos to surface.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Are travellers queuing up for hours at KLIA after immigration officers started a Work to Rule protest?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Long Queues At KLIA Due To Immigration Work To Rule Protest!
People are sharing a video, claiming that it shows long queues at KLIA after immigration officers started a Work to Rule protest, over recent accusations of corruption!
Work to rule being enforced by immigration officers in KLIA as protest over the recent issue. Terrible if true! 🫢🧐🤨🤨🤨
Here’s a You Tuber telling us his story at the KLIA today. 😰😥😱
In the 1 minute and 22 seconds long video, a foreign tourist is seen complaining that he had to spend 2 hours getting through immigration at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
After waiting in line for an hour, he was sent to an immigration office where he had to wait for another hour before he was questioned. Only after an extensive questioning was the tourist released with a 90-day pass.
No Evidence Long Queues At KLIA Are Due To Immigration Protest!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why!
Fact #1 : Fake News Is Based On Immigration Corruption Claims
First, I should point out that this fake news is based on the recent accusations of corruption involving immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Here is a quick recap.
On Thursday, 29 June 2023, two ladies arrived at KLIA from Shenzhen, China – a senior official of a Chinese government-owned TV station, and her personal assistant.
The senior official was duly cleared and allowed entry by the Immigration Department, but her personal assistant was denied entry, and allegedly told that there were discrepancies in her travel documents. The lady was allegedly told that she would need to pay several thousand ringgit to be allowed to enter Malaysia.
The Chinese TV official called up the consulate general of Malaysia in Guangzhou to seek help. The consulate general’s staff then contacted Malaysia Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing, who went to KLIA to investigate the matter. The personal assistant was later allowed to enter Malaysia, after the Minister intervened.
A day later, Tiong claimed that there was a “culture of corruption” within the Immigration Department’s handling of foreign visitors at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
I feel it is high time that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) enter KLIA in full force to probe what is actually happening in this major entry point.
I’m grateful that my presence there managed to uncover an embarrassing situation for the country, in which there is a culture of corruption among a number of officers as well as chronic abuse of power at the country’s major gateway.
Tiong also said that he learnt that some immigration officers would demand up to RM3,000 to free tourists from detention, and he would be sending the information to the MACC.
They would demand RM3,000 to enable the tourists to go through a ‘special lane’ and RM12,000 for visa processing costs.
I should also point out that the term, work to rule, refers to a situation where employees strictly follow their working hours, and do no more than the minimum required by their contract or job.
By that definition, it is unknown if any Immigration officer in KLIA is currently “protesting” through work to rule measures. They could simply be seen as doing their jobs, but nothing beyond that.
Fact #3 : Video Was Taken In May 2022
While it is impossible to know whether immigration officers are protesting through work to rule action, I can tell you that the viral video has absolutely nothing to do with the current controversy involving Malaysian Immigration officers at KLIA.
That’s because the video was originally taken in May 2022. The YouTuber in the video is called Ken Abroad, and he posted the video on 22 May 2023, with the title, “I Almost Got Denied Entry To Malaysia 🇲🇾“.
In the video, he detailed his journey from his home in Germany to Malaysia, via Turkey. When he landed in KLIA over a year ago, he spent more than 2 hours getting through immigration.
But notably – Ken Abroad was released without paying a single cent to immigration officers. Neither did he accuse them of corruption.
Fact #4 : Video Was Edited
The viral video originally had a long runtime of 15 minutes and 51 seconds, but was cropped to just 1 minute and 22 seconds.
Whoever cut this video to share on WhatsApp and social media platforms would obviously be aware that this was originally posted more than a year ago on YouTube.
Fact #5 : Complaints About KLIA Queues Are Perennial
Complaints about long queues at KLIA immigration are perennial. If you check social media, you can see people complaining about this months and years ago, even before the COVID-19 pandemic!
Such queues are also not limited to KLIA immigration counters. They have been documented in airports all over the world, especially in very busy airports (like Heathrow and LAX), and during busy times (when multiple flights land at around the same time).
Just because there is a queue at the immigration counters does not mean there is any industrial work to rule action going on. Often, it just means that there is a large number of people queuing up to get processed.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was this viral photo of an amazing full circle rainbow captured by a pilot flying at 30,000 feet?!
Take a look at the photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : This Rare Rainbow Was Captured By Pilot At 30,000 Feet!
People are sharing what they claim is a rare rainbow captured by Lloyd J Ferraro, a pilot flying over the Pacific Ocean at at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Rainbow at 30,000 Feet: Pilot’s Photo Captures Rare and Breathtaking Sight
A rare sight was captured from the cockpit of a commercial airplane as pilot Lloyd J Ferraro took a stunning photograph of a complete rainbow from an altitude of 30,000 feet. The breathtaking image shows the colors of the rainbow in their full spectrum, arching gracefully across the sky.
Rainbows have long been a source of fascination for people around the world, with their vivid colors and seemingly magical appearance. While rainbows can be seen from the ground after a storm, it is much rarer to witness a complete rainbow from the vantage point of an airplane.
According to Ferraro, he was flying over the Pacific Ocean when he spotted the rainbow and decided to capture the moment on camera. The resulting photograph has since gone viral, captivating people around the world with its beauty and rarity.
The image not only showcases the beauty of nature but also highlights the incredible capabilities of modern technology. Ferraro was able to capture the stunning photograph using a smartphone camera, demonstrating how accessible and advanced our technology has become.
This incredible photo serves as a reminder of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us in our everyday lives. It is a testament to the power of nature and the marvels of modern technology, and it has inspired people around the world to appreciate the small moments of beauty that exist in the world around us.
Truth : Rare Rainbow Was Not Captured By Pilot At 30,000 Feet!
This is yet another example of FAKE PHOTOS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Photo Was Not Taken By Lloyd J Ferraro
Lead Stories spoke to the pilot, Lloyd J Ferraro, on March 1, 2023. He has seen circular rainbows while flying, but he did not take that viral photo.
Ferraro shared that both he and his colleague copied and shared the rainbow image on social media, but he did not take the photo himself.
Fact #2 : Circular Rainbows Are Not Particularly Rare
Lloyd J Ferraro said that full-circle rainbows are not as rare as people think, and people do not need to be in an airplane to see one – a full circle rainbow can be observed from any high vantage point, like a mountain top.
In fact, NASA featured this full circle rainbow photo as its Astronomy Picture of the Day on December 27, 2022. That amazing photo of a full circle rainbow was taken using a drone by Swiss photographer Lukas Moesch over the Lofoten islands of Norway.
NASA also explained why full circle rainbows are more commonly seen from the air, instead of the ground.
Have you ever seen an entire rainbow? From the ground, typically, only the top portion of a rainbow is visible because directions toward the ground have fewer raindrops. From the air, though, the entire 360-degree circle of a rainbow is more commonly visible.
Pictured here, a full-circle rainbow was captured over the Lofoten Islands of Norway in September by a drone passing through a rain shower.
An observer-dependent phenomenon primarily caused by the internal reflection of sunlight by raindrops, the rainbow has a full diameter of 84 degrees. The Sun is in the exact opposite direction from the rainbow’s center. As a bonus, a second rainbow that was more faint and color-reversed was visible outside the first.
Lloyd J Ferraro could not have been the creator of the photo, because the viral photo of the rare circular rainbow circulated much earlier.
It appeared to have been posted in the Facebook group, Beautiful Nature, as part of a 5-photo collection of rainbows on February 6, 2023. After that, it went viral with many people sharing it on Facebook and Twitter.
But a closer examination of these photos will show a digital watermark at their lower right corners. These photos were created by someone with the user ID of 5463530014 on the Chinese social shopping platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
Fact #4 : Professor Labelled Rainbow Photo As Fake
Lead Stories asked Roland Stull, a professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of British Columbia to analyse the photo. He labelled it as a fake rainbow photo, and explained why:
It is fake. Rainbows form a circle centered around the shadow of the photographer or the camera; namely, looking away from the sun.
In the photo you attached, based on the sides of the clouds that are illuminated by the sun, the rainbow incorrectly appears to be in the direction of the sun, not opposite to the sun. Also, the rainbow circle itself appears to be incorrectly touching the location in the sky where the sun is (even though it is hidden behind a cloud), instead of the circle being centered on a shadow opposite to the sun (i.e., centered around the “anti-solar” point).
Fact #5 : Rainbow Photo Most Likely Generated By AI
It is not possible to know if the fake rainbow photo was digitally drawn by an artist, or created by AI image generators.
However, due to the numerous examples of similar rainbow photos with the same tone and colour palette, they were all likely generated by text-to-image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E or Stable Diffusion.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the last audio and video messages from the OceanGate Titan submersible that imploded get leaked?!
Take a look at the viral videos, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Last Messages From OceanGate Titan Sub Were Leaked!
People are sharing what they claim are the leaked last audio and video messages from the OceanGate Titan submersible that imploded, killing all five people onboard.
Leaked last messages from the lost submarine
The last audio clip from the Oceangate submarine
Real live audio from the submarine!!
Last communication from the OceanGate submarine, before it disappeared
Truth : OceanGate Titan Sub Did Not Send Any Last Messages!
This is yet another example of FAKE VIDEOS created by “content creators” to generate views and/or controversy, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : OceanGate Titan Is A Submersible
First, I should just quickly point out that the OceanGate Titan is not a submarine, but a Cyclops-class submersible.
Submarines can operate independently of other vessels, but a submersible has to be transported and supported by a separate surface vessel or platform.
The OceanGate Titan, for example, was transported and supported by a Canadian-flagged ship called Polar Prince, which tows a dry dock-like “Launch and Recovery Platform” that is used to launch and recover it.
Fact #2 : OceanGate Titan Communicates Only By Text Messaging
The viral videos circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, are all fake because it is impossible for the OceanGate Titan to send any last messages by audio or video.
The Titan submersible can only communicate with its mothership by text message. That’s because the Titan is not tethered by cable to its mothership, and it cannot communicate by Wi-Fi or radio waves.
Fact #3 : OceanGate Titan Suffered A Catastrophic Implosion
At around 9:30 am NDT on 18 June 2023, the OceanGate Titan submersible began its two-hour descent to view the Titanic shipwreck.
The Titan was required to send a text message to its mothership every 15 minutes, which it did until 11:15 am – approximately 1 hour 45 minutes into its dive. That was its last communication with its mothership.
The US Navy detected an acoustic signature at around that time that was consistent with a catastrophic implosion.
On 22 June 2023, the Odysseus 6K remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) operated by Pelagic Research Services would locate a debris field about 500 metres from the Titanic shipwreck that confirmed the implosion of the Titan submersible.
Fact #4 : They Would Not Have Time To Send Any Message
The water pressure at that depth of 3.8 kilometres (3,800 metres) below the surface is approximately 400 atmospheres, or about 6,000 psi (pounds per square inch).
An implosion at such a high pressure would have instantly obliterated everyone inside the Titan submersible. It would be like being suddenly crushed by the weight of the Eiffel Tower.
All 5 people inside the Titan submersible would not have realised what happened, never mind have the time to send any last messages.
Fact #5 : Investigators Only Have Voice Recordings From Mothership
It is also impossible for any audio messages from the Titan submersible to leak because investigators only have access to the voice recordings from its mothership, the Polar Prince.
On 24 June 2023, the Polar Prince docked near the Canadian Coast Guard in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Canadian officials then took possession of its voyage data recorder and other systems with “useful information” for further investigations.
However, there are no data or voice recorders from the Titan submersible itself because its debris are scattered at a depth of some 4,000 metres (13,000 feet). The ROV that discovered the debris was not powerful enough to lift the debris. Any recovery operation will have to take place later.
Fact #6 : They Are Just Fake Videos
This is just another example of fake videos created to generate views and/or controversies. Here are some other recent examples you may have seen recently:
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did these eight famous people mock God, and consequently died early?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Did These Famous People Mock God And Die?!
This story has not only been posted on many websites, it has been repeatedly shared on social media and even WhatsApp and Telegram.
The stories have a variety of names – “Famous People Who Mocked God And Died Untimely“, “Untimely Deaths Of Famous People Who Mocked God“, or just “8 in 8‘, whatever that meant!
The story is very long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS? I SURE DIDN’T TILL NOW
Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!
Make a personal reflection about this…… Very interesting, read until the end……
It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap…”
Here are some men and women who mocked God :
John Lennon (Singer):
Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said : ‘Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that… I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him’ (1966).
Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.
Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ):
During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.
Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.
Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):
During a show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: ‘God, that’s for you.’
He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.
The man who built the Titanic
After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: ‘Not even God can sink it’
The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic
Marilyn Monroe (Actress)
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: ‘I don’t need your Jesus’.
A week later, she was found dead in her apartment
Bon Scott (Singer)
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:
‘Don’t stop me; I’m going down all the way, down the highway to hell’.
On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.
Campinas (IN 2005)
In Campinas , Brazil , a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend……
The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: ‘My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.’
She responded: ‘Only If He (God) travels In the trunk, cause inside here….. It’s already full.’
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.
The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken
Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer) said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written.
In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.
Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.
Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive. ‘Jesus’
PS: If it was a joke, you would have sent it to everyone. So are you going to have courage to send this?.
I have done my part, Jesus said, ‘If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.’
You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way!
I’M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!! Bishop T.D. Jakes ‘8 Second Prayer.’ Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!
‘Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus’ name. Amen.’
Pass this message to 8 people {EXCEPT YOU AND ME}…. You will receive a miracle tomorrow. I Hope that you don’t ignore and let God bless you.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The John Lennon quote was somewhat inaccurate. He never mocked God, he only mocked Christianity, saying:
Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right.
We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first — rock and roll or Christianity.
Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.
More importantly, that interview was NOT conducted by a US magazine, but with Maureen Cleave from the London Evening Standard.
When it was first published in the London Evening Standard in March 1966, there was no outcry. It was only when Datebook, a US teen magazine printed the same quote five months later, that protests broke out in the United States.
Even so, it took fourteen years after that statement for a born-again Christian called Mark David Chapman to kill John Lennon.
But he didn’t shoot Lennon six times (as claimed). He shot 5 times at John Lennon, hitting him 4 times.
Was Mark David Chapman God’s avenging hand? If so, then it’s obvious that God believes that revenge is a dish best served cold.
Tancredo Neves Did Not Mock God
There is no evidence that Tancredo Neves ever made such a claim. It would have been out-of-character to mock God, since he was a religious Catholic by all accounts.
The Archbishop of São Paulo at that time, Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, said,
“He was loved by the people and is being very much missed. He was also a personal friend and a good Catholic. I was at his side when he died.“
Tancredo Neves also did not need 500,000 votes from his party, because the Electoral College that elected him as President only had 686 members.
Tancredo won 480 (70%) of the Electoral College votes. 480 votes, ladies and gentlemen, not 500,000 votes.
Finally, Tancredo Neves did not die a day before being made President. He fell sick much earlier, complaining of abdominal pains, and was admitted to the hospital a day before his inauguration on March 15, 1985.
Cazuza, whose real name is Agenor Miranda Araújo Neto, did indeed die at the age of 32. However, he died from AIDS-related complications, not lung cancer as the hoax claims.
There was also no evidence Cazuza ever mocked God, specifically “while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said ‘God, that’s for you.’ during a show in Canecio [sic] (Rio de Janeiro)”.
Despite extensive searches, I have not come across a direct testimony by a fan who attended the concert, that Cazuza actually mocked God in that manner, much less actual published articles on that act.
In fact, I located the only video I have ever seen of a full concert at the Canecão in 1998 on YouTube. In that video, Cazuza never smoked a cigarette during the entire concert, much less mocked God with cigarette smoke.
You have to wonder how the writer of this hoax knew about this, when it is virtually impossible to prove this act ever took place in this age of Google and YouTube.
The Men Who Built Titanic Did Not Mock God
The writer of this hoax cannot even name “the man who built the Titanic“, and claimed that “Not even God can sink it“. That’s because there is no such person.
First of all, the Titanic was not built or even paid for by any individual. It was built by Harland and Wolff, a shipbuilding company from Belfast, Ireland for the White Star Line, a shipping company.
Neither J. P. Morgan (whose holding company financed its construction), nor Joseph Bruce Ismay (the chairman of White Star Line) ever made such a claim to a reporter. The same is true for Thomas Andrews, the naval architect who designed the Titanic.
Which of these 3 men built the RMS Titanic? L to R : J. Bruce Ismay, J. P. Morgan, Thomas Andrews
The claim that “Not even God can sink it” was purportedly made by a deck hand to Sylvia Caldwell, a second class passenger on the Titanic :
After we came aboard the Titanic we were watching deck hands carrying up baggage I said to one “Is this ship really unsinkable?”
He answered “Yes, lady, God himself could not sink this ship.”
White Star Line, and its parent company, International Mercantile Marine, did make claims that the Titanic was practically unsinkable (due to its watertight compartments), but at no point did any of their representatives claim that “Not even God can sink it“.
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The claim that Marilyn Monroe was visited by Billy Graham just a week before she was found dead is categorically untrue.
As one of the most famous celebrities during her time, she was closely followed by fans and the press. So we know with certainty that Marilyn Monroe never met Billy Graham in her entire life.
Billy Graham also did not preach to Marilyn Monroe, or even had a conversation with her… ever.
According to a spokesperson for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, “there was no discussion between Marilyn Monroe and Billy Graham”. Therefore, we can safely say that this claim is utter nonsense.
Interestingly, Marilyn Monroe was a Christian who converted to Judaism in 1956, 6 years before she tragically died.
But whether she was a Christian or a Jew, she prayed to the same God, and it appeared that she took her religion rather seriously. At least, according to her rabbi, Robert Goldburg :
“She indicated that she was impressed with the rationalism of Judaism, its ethical and prophetic ideals and its concept of close family life,” wrote the Reform rabbi.
“Marilyn was not an intellectual person but she was sincere in her desire to learn. It was also clear that her ability to concentrate over a long period of time was limited.
However I did feel that she understood and accepted the basic principles of Judaism.”
Even after her divorce from her Jewish husband, Arthur Miller, Marilyn told Goldburg that she “remained committed to Judaism”.
Even if Marilyn Monroe did say that she did not need Jesus, that would not be an insult, but the correct belief of a practising Jew.
God would certainly not kill her for not accepting a prophet that was not part of her faith. Or would he?
Bon Scott Did Not Mock God
AC/DC released their hit single “Highway To Hell” in 1979, and yes, Bon Scott died six months later at the back of his friend’s car.
It was said that Bon Scott choked on his own vomit, after passing out from a night of heavy drinking. That is certainly a possibility when someone’s totally wasted.
However, his official cause of death was “acute alcohol poisoning“.
More importantly though, Highway To Hell became one of the most famous songs in the world. Millions of their fans sang the same song, and many more still do today.
Many other singers also covered the song, including Marilyn Manson, Lazlo Bane, Maroon 5, Bruce Springsteen and even Billy Joel. Yet, they did not die from the wrath of God, did they?
And why should God be angry at Bon Scott, or anyone singing about going down the “Highway to Hell”? The song in no way mocked God or any religion.
2005 Campinas Car Accident Likely Did Not Happen
The purported Campinas car accident in 2005 cannot be corroborated in any way. But the story itself is preposterous, for several reasons.
Which mother in the world would let her daughter sit in the car of obviously drunk teens?
Why would there be a crate of eggs in the trunk of a car driven by drunk teenagers?
In any accident, the trunk is the most likely part of the car to survive a head-on collision.
If the trunk survived intact (as the story claims), then the car would have been easy to recognise.
Common sense would dictate that this is nothing more than a rather silly urban legend designed to drive the fear of God into “foolish” teens.
Christine Hewitt Did Not Mock God
First of all, there is no evidence Christine Hewitt called the Bible “the worst book ever written”. Even if she said that, that would be a criticism of a book, not mocking God.
Christine Hewitt was found burnt beyond recognition in her Toyota Hiace minivan. However, that was only done to cover up the act of murder, and/or to destroy evidence.
She did not spontaneously combust or die as a result of the fire, as the hoax insinuates.
She was actually shot dead and her body placed in her minivan, which was then driven to a lonely rural road before being set on fire.
Her husband, David Lloyd Gordon, and his brother, Wordsworth Gordon, were ultimately charged with her murder.
Obviously, they are not the hands of God… unless God condones murder?
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Breaking Bad’s Mike Batayeh die suddenly in his sleep from COVID-19 vaccine SADS?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-06-22 : Added Mike Batayeh’s official cause of death. Originally posted @ 2023-06-10
Claim : Mike Batayeh Died Suddenly From Vaccine SADS!
Right after news broke that Mike Batayeh died suddenly in his sleep, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the 52 year-old Breaking Bad actor was a victim of COVID-19 vaccine sudden adult death syndrome (SADS)!
Died Suddenly : Another actor #DiedSuddenly Mike Batayeh suffered a heart attack in his sleep. He was only 52 years old 💉 Reminder: A majority of actors were mandated to take the Covid Vaccine in order to even show up on set.
ANOYHER COVID VACCINE CASE??? ‘Breaking Bad’ actor Mike Batayeh dead at 52
Another victim of the media/gov’t/medical field vax lies! Triple-boosted & dead – I guess it worked- he can’t catch anything ever again! 😡
Truth : Mike Batayeh Did Not Die From Vaccine SADS!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all celebrity deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Mike Batayeh Died From Suicide!
Actor and comedian Mike Batayeh (born Michael Batayeh on 27 December 1970) played Dennis Markowski – the manager of Gustavo Fring’s Lavandería Brillante industrial laundromat in three episodes of Breaking Bad, from 2011-2012.
According to his sister, Diane, Mike Batayeh died suddenly in his sleep from a heart attack, at his Michigan home on June 1, 2023. He was survived by five sisters, and many nephews and nieces.
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that my sisters and I announce the passing of our dear brother @Mike Batayeh on Thursday June 1 2023. He will be greatly missed by those who loved him and his great ability to bring laughter and joy to so many. Funeral arrangements will be posted at a later date. #mikebatayeh #mikebatayehbreakingbad
However, the Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed on June 13, that Mike Batayeh’s official cause of death was “asphyxia hanging“. In other words, Mike Batayeh committed suicide.
Fact #2 : Law Enforcement Was Called To His Apartment
According to a police report, the Pittsfield Township Police Department was called to Mike Batayeh’s third-floor, one-bedroom apartment for an “unattended death” and “possible suicide”.
A male relative who filed the report said that he was aware of Mike Batayeh’s “turbulent mental health”, and Batayeh had spent a weekend with him late last month to “distract himself”. The relative also said that Mike Batayeh attempted suicide about a decade ago.
The police report also noted that another witness, identified as his therapist, claimed that Mike Batayeh had been his client “off and on for the past seven years”, and the witness had become concerned when Batayeh missed a scheduled appointment on the morning he died.
Fact #3 : Mike Batayeh Tweeted About Suicide Earlier
Mike Batayeh posted several times about suicide on Twitter:
April 9, 2015 : Let’s face it…..Jesus was suicidal and as a roman Catholic I was taught suicide is a SIN….Double stan[d]ard because he was the bosses son.
April 17, 2016 : You ever been so bored you contemplate suicide just because it’s something to do?
Nov. 20, 2019 : Holiday season is here. It’s a time of reflection and rebirth. It’s also a time of depression and suicide. It’s all perspective. #tistheseason
Fact #4 : Mike Batayeh Was Fully Vaccinated In May 2021
Mike Batayeh was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, after receiving his first Moderna vaccine dose on April 9, 2021, and his second dose on May 7, 2021.
I’m a card carrying member of the “New World Order”. #vaccinator #covid #novid
While it is unknown if he received a booster dose, it is plausible he may have received one in December 2021.
2021 Christmas tip:
Covid boosters make a great stocking stuffer this season. #christmas #covidvacccine
I should point out that the last acting gig Mike Batayeh participated in was a TV movie called Prank of America in 2018. There is no evidence Batayeh was “forced” to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in any filming.
Fact #5 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths / Injuries Often Proven False
Sadly, Mike Batayeh joins the long list of people falsely accused of being injured or killed by the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vast majority of claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…
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Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is Selena Gomez having an affair with Zayn Malik?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Selena Gomez Is Having An Affair With Zayn Malik!
People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that Zayn Malik is having an affair with Selena Gomez!
Here is the viral Music Mundial article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Zayn Malik is reportedly having an affair with Selena Gomez
In the entertainment world it is very difficult to find people who are compatible with you and preferably, people from that world prefer to date people from that same universe, as they understand the work situations more. Despite being complicated, there are still many celebrities who have the desire to meet people and have a love life and that is the case of Zayn Malik, who could be having a love relationship with the beautiful singer Selena Gomez.
Let’s remember that both Malik and Selena Gomez, have had quite public love stories with dramatic endings that have been controversial more than once, so that’s what they would have in common apart from fame.
Zayn’s followers are excited with some photos that the British singer shared on social networks, which were flooded with many comments, but what made everyone happy was that he posted a photo in a studio, starting a series of speculations around Zayn and a new musical project.
According to TikTok user Klarissa Garcia, she revealed that a friend of hers who works at an exclusive restaurant saw Zayn Malik and American singer Selena Gomez having dinner together. The user of this account expressed that both looked very affectionate kissing inside the restaurant.
So far none of the singers have said anything about it, but let’s remember that they are all rumors until they say otherwise.
Truth : Selena Gomez Is Not Having An Affair With Zayn Malik!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created by Music Mundial to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Both Selena Gomez + Zayn Malik Are Not Married
By definition, having an affair would mean that one or both parties are married, or have an informal commitment to another person (girlfriend / boyfriend / fiancee, etc.
Since neither Selena Gomez, nor Zayn Malik, are married or involved with anyone else, they cannot possibly be having “an affair”. It is likely that the insinuation of “an affair” was used to add drama, and drive traffic.
Fact #2 : Romance Speculation Based On A Single Date
The recent Selena Gomez – Zayn Malik romance claim was based on a single date at a New York City restaurant.
First piece of evidence was a TikTok video by Klarissa Garcia (@klarissa.mpeg), in which she claimed that her friend – a restaurant hostess, witnessed the two celebrities kissing on 25 March 2023.
Tell me how Selena Gomez and Zayn just walked hand in hand making out and I seated them.
Entertainment Tonight also quoted an eyewitness (could be the same person), who said:
Most restaurant staff and restaurant goers didn’t notice them. It seemed like they were comfortable together and it was clear that it was a date.
Fact #3 : Selena Gomez Said She Was Single
While there may be evidence that Selena Gomez went out once with Zayn Malik, it happened months ago.
Approximately eleven days beforeMusic Mundial posted its article claiming an affair between Selena Gomez and Zayn Malik, she declared that she was still SINGLE.
On Thursday, 8 June 2023, Selena Gomez posted a TikTok video, in which she shouted at some soccer players playing on a football field:
I’m single! I’m just a little high maintenance but I love you all so much!
She captioned the video – “The struggle man lol” because she could not catch the attention of the men playing on the field.
It is odd that Music Mundial would claim eleven days later that Selena Gomez was having “an affair” with Zayn Malik when she already stated that she was still “single”.
Fact #4 : Zayn Malik Posted A Somber Selfie
Approximately two days beforeMusic Mundial posted its article claiming an affair between Selena Gomez and Zayn Malik, Zayn posted a selfie of himself looking somber.
Zayn did not caption the photo, but fans of both celebrities believe that it was because Selena Gomez said that she was still single. Speculation is that he was acknowledging that they were no longer dating.
That seems to be confirmed after he posted two photos (here and here) of himself enjoying a night out with two girls on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
This appears to be nothing more than yet another example of celebrity fake news posted by Music Mundial. Here are examples of Music Mundial fake news that I looked into recently:
Everything Music Mundial posts should be considered as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Lady Gaga lose 300,000 fans after she promoted Nurtec – a Pfizer drug that treats migraine?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Lady Gaga Loses 300K Fans Over Pfizer Ad!
People are claiming that Lady Gaga is being severely criticised by her fans for promoting Nurtec – a Pfizer migraine drug, so much so that she lost 300,000 fans!
@sourbenji : Lady Gaga has lost over 300,000 followers since her Nurtec ad 🙁
@theladygucci : gaga has lost over 300k followers since the ibuprofen collab
@Key2Eternity : Lady Gaga Becomes Face of New Pfizer Migraine Drug in Cringe Big Pharma Commercial: Singer who said “I Hate Money” in 2011 allegedly loses tens of thousands of fans after endorsing Company that paid the Highest Fine in History for Fraud.
Truth : Lady Gaga Not Lose 300K Fans Over Pfizer Ad!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Lady Gaga Was Upfront About Pfizer Partnership
Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986) recently posted a photo from the Chromatica Ball Tour last year, with a prominent Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) logo at the top right corner.
The June 13 Instagram carousel post included her personal testimony on Nurtec’s efficacy, followed by official Pfizer safety information on its Nurtec migraine drug:
Ever since childhood, I’ve dealt with migraine pain. When I tried Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant) 75 mg for the first time, I’ll never forget wishing I had found it sooner. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Nurtec ODT. 💜 We’re in this together. If you’re ready to speak to a doctor, ask about Nurtec ODT today. #MHAM
Lady Gaga, or her team, clearly labelled the Instagram post as a “[p]aid partnership with nurtecodt“, with the hashtags #pfizersponsored#nurtecodtpartner and #ad.
https://youtu.be/rEsb3pAyGlk
Fact #2 : Product Information + Disclaimers Are Necessary
Under her personal post, she included the official Pfizer product information and disclaimers:
Individual results may vary. Prescription only.
Nurtec ODT is for the acute treatment of migraine and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults. Select Safety Information: Do not take if allergic to Nurtec ODT. Allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. Allergic reactions include trouble breathing, rash, and swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat. Most common side effects were nausea (2.7%) and indigestion/stomach pain (2.4%). See full Approved Uses and Important Safety Information included in the image carousel.
While some people are criticising Lady Gaga for posting that information, and two Nurtec slides in the Instagram carousel post, they are necessary for a sponsored post for a drug.
It is important for sponsored posts promoting any kind of medication to include basic product and safety information, so people understand the proper use cases and potential side effects.
You should be more worried about social media posts on drugs that lack such product and safety information!
I should point out that Lady Gaga had over 55.25 million followers on Instagram, on the day she posted the Pfizer Nurtec advertisement.
Even if Lady Gaga actually lost 300,000 followers on her Instagram account, it would only represent 0.54% of her total number of followers!
That would be a noteworthy dip no doubt, but it would not matter, because it also means that over 99.4% of her fans are not concerned enough unfollow her!
Fact #4 : Lady Gaga Actually Gained 33.9K Fans!
While people are claiming that Lady Gaga lost tens of thousands… or 300,000 fans / followers on her Instagram account, they offered zero evidence to back up those claims.
Instead of losing 300,000 fans, Lady Gaga actually gained 33.9K new fans in the 6 days following her Instagram post promoting the Pfizer Nurtec migraine drug.
As you can see from these stats of her Instagram account, Lady Gaga has consistently brought in thousands of additional followers every single day since that she posted the Nurtec advertisement.
Sure, some of her fans are calling her a sellout. But it is unknown if these unhappy Little Monsters actually unfollowed her because of that post. If she lost any fans over that post, they do not appear to be numerous enough to cause her total follower count to drop!
Fact #5 : Pfizer Was Upfront About Lady Gaga Partnership
Pfizer is no stranger to criticism, partly due to its chequered history, and partly because it’s a popular bogeyman for conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination activists.
Hence, Pfizer was similarly upfront about its partnership with Lady Gaga in promoting Nurtec. Of course, Pfizer labelled it as its effort to raise awareness about migraine:
June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and in keeping with this year’s theme, “Educate Yourself, Educate Others,” Pfizer is partnering with Lady Gaga to raise awareness of this often-misunderstood disease.
Affecting about 40 million people in the United States and one billion people globally, migraine is a debilitating and recurrent neurological disease. In fact, according to one study, migraine is considered the second-most disabling condition in the world, following low back pain.
An Academy Award, Golden Globe® Award, and 13-time Grammy® Award-winning actress and philanthropist, Lady Gaga was diagnosed with migraine when she was 14 years old, and it has had a profound impact on her life.
“Lady Gaga’s story is a powerful reminder of how significantly migraine affects the lives of so many people,” says Angela Lukin, Global Primary Care and U.S. President, Pfizer. “We believe that this collaboration will help raise awareness of this often ‘silent’ disease and inspire those living with migraine to have conversations with their healthcare providers about the best way to manage their condition.”
By showcasing Lady Gaga’s experience, Pfizer hopes to help people better understand the effect migraine can have on their lives and to show people living with the disease that they are not alone.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Beyonce cheekily flash her fans during her recent Renaissance World Tour concert in Paris, France?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Beyonce Flashed Her Fans During Paris Concert!
People are sharing a video on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, which claims to show Beyonce cheekily flashing her fans during her recent Renaissance World Tour concert in Paris, France!
From a fellow Virgo to another Virgo, she knew what she was doing. She wanted to show the world that moose knuckle!
Incredible …! Beyoncé shows her pussy during a concert in Paris 😅
Truth : Beyonce Did Not Flash Her Fans During Concert!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Beyonce Video Appears To Be Genuine
I should point out that, as far as I can tell, this is a genuine video, and is not a deep fake video. However, I’m not able to confirm if this video was recorded in Paris.
The earliest example of this video appears to have been posted to TikTok on June 1, 2023. So it is plausible that the viral video of Beyonce apparently showing off her coochie could have been recorded during her performance at the Stade de France, Paris, on 26 May 2023.
However, I can confirmed that the video was definitely recorded during Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour, which kicked off on 10 May 2023:
10-11 May : Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
14 May : King Baudoudin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
17 May : Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
20 May : BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland
23 May : Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England
26 May : Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
29 May – 4 June : Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England
Fact #2 : Video Was Recorded Off Jumbotron
More pertinent is the fact that the person recording the video did not capture Beyonce herself. Rather, the video was recorded off a Jumbotron – a large video display at the concert.
Why this is important is because the colour fidelity of the video was poor, with a purple cast to boot. It is the discolouration that made it appear as if she was cheekily showing off her coochie.
If you see other videos directly recorded of Beyonce (see our video above for an example), you will immediately see that she did not show off her coochie at any point in her performance.
Fact #3 : Beyonce Was Wearing A Bodysuit
The truth is – Beyonce was wearing a multi-coloured patterned bodysuit during her performance in the viral video.
In this photo, which accurately shows the colours and pattern of her bodysuit, you can see that it has many lines.
It was the poor colour accuracy of the video that made it look like she went “commando” and flashed her fans!
Beyonce is a consummate performer, and she would never have gone “commando” on stage. In fact, she has always worn bodysuits at her concerts for the past 13 years.
They may be cheeky and sexually suggestive, but they allow her to dance without worrying about wardrobe malfunctions on stage. So no, you won’t catch her showing her coochie at her concerts anytime soon!
Fact #5 : This Is Just Celebrity Fake News
This appears to be nothing more than yet another example of celebrity fake news circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms.
While it does not appear to be intentionally created by rumour or celebrity blogs / TikTok creators to generate views, I’m sure Queen Bey would not appreciate all those snide, misogynistic comments about her coochie…
Here are some other recent examples of celebrity fake news you may have seen on social media:
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
WATCH OUT for scammers pretending to be Jomo Kwame Sundaram offering stock advice on Facebook!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that famed Malaysian economist, Jomo Kwame Sundaram, is created a WhatsApp group offering free stock investment advice!
I am Jomo Kwame Sundaram A prominent Malaysian economist. On June 14th, I said in the stock exchange group: There have been abnormal transactions in the Southeast Asian stock market in the past two days Indonesian stock market soars on the 15th, with huge volatility Now the local exchange has access to supervise the stock movement Next, Malaysia’s stock market will also experience abnormal fluctuations Please pay attention to: ADVCON, KPSCE, ICON, MBL these stocks Related stock abnormal information, I will continue to send in the group If you haven’t joined the stock exchange group Please join in time, I will share the stock information I have for free Master stock information and avoid losing money in the stock market
I am Jomo Kwame Sundaram A prominent Malaysian economist. This is my one and only page on Facebook As of May 2023, there will be an outflow of RM2.39 billion from the Malaysian stock market This is the result of a large amount of foreign funds manipulating the Malaysian stock market Since the collapse of the three largest U.S. banks in March, About $76 billion has been withdrawn from U.S. stocks into stock markets around the world If you do not grasp the stock inside information in time Investing in the stock market can make you lose money I created a stock exchange group Share the insider information about the stock market that I can grasp for free Hope these stock information can help you
Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam : What You Need To Know!
These Jomo Kwame Sundaram stock investment scams are being promoted heavily on Facebook in 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Jomo Kwame Sundaram Reported These Fake Ads
These fake Jomo Kwame Sundaram stock advice advertisements have been promoted on Facebook for several months now. On April 15, 2023, Jomo himself posted about this scam:
*Warning Letter from Jomo Kwame Sundaram*
I regret to inform you that someone is impersonating me. They have established an official website in my name, with many old photographs and other material to give this impression.
I am presented as an education and investment consultant, neither of which is true. There is even a contact telephone number for my supposed assistant.
I have reported the impersonation to Facebook and MCMC with no indication of any action so far. This happened several years ago as well when there was an earlier effort of this type.
I have never given investment advice, and have no intention whatsoever of doing so. It is highly irresponsible for anyone to claim they know the future. Whatever I do on economic and other matters is free for the public, and I urge you not to pay money to anyone who claims to be advising you in my name.
As I have been giving lectures in Tsinghua University in the past week, when this problem began, I did not realize how quickly the problem was growing and failed to act more promptly.
Please warn your friends and loved ones.
Thank you for your cooperation.
jomo
Unfortunately, as many people have discovered, Meta / Facebook does not appear to care about these fake ads. You can report them till kingdom come, but they will just keep running on Facebook as long as these scammers pay for them!
Fact #2 : Jomo Kwame Sundaram Is A Renown Economist
Jomo Kwame Sundaram is a world-renown economist, who writes extensively on economic policies. However, as he explained above, he is not an investment consultant!
He has better things to do than to offer you free stock investment advice! In May 7, he just published an article called “Inflation phobia, myths and dogma exacerbate policy responses” in the Review of Keynesian Economics.
Fact #3 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar investment scam, and lost almost RM480,000 (about US$104,000).
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Canadian musician and podcaster Shane Macaulay collapse and die suddenly from COVID-19 vaccine SADS?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Shane Macaulay Died Suddenly From Vaccine SADS!
Many people are sharing a video of Shane Macaulay collapsing suddenly outside his home, suggesting that the Canadian musician and podcaster died suddenly from COVID-19 vaccine sudden adult death syndrome (SADS)!
Died Suddenly : Another horrifying collapse caught on a security camera. They are MURDERING you
Stew Peters : They are MURDERING you.
“Sudden And Unexpected” : I don’t think this is normal. These experimental Covid vaccines are deadly. 💉☠️
Truth : Shane Macaulay Did Not Die Suddenly From Vaccine!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all sudden deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Shane Macaulay Is Still Alive
First, I should point out that Shane Macaulay is still alive, as of June 13, 2023 when he posted a last call for a Pre-Father’s Day BBQ on his podcast’s Facebook page.
On his personal Twitter page, Shane Macaulay (also known as Shaner Macaulay) last posted this message on June 5, 2023:
Anyone wanna see this? @NUBS416? I used to see ya at shows in Toronto at The Phoenix, Opera House, etc. if it’s just @FatMike_of_NOFX that wants to leave @NOFXband I’ll try to fill in. #justtheflu
So claims that Shane Macaulay died suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccine are nonsense.
Fact #2 : Video Was Recorded In February 2023
I should also point out that while his video only went viral on TikTok and Twitter in June 2023, it was recorded and posted in his YouTube channel months ago – on 28 February 2023 to be specific.
Fact #3 : Shane Macaulay Had A Seizure
In his original video, Shane Macaulay clearly said that he suffered a seizure. It would also be impossible for him to post his own video, or this explanation, if he actually died suddenly…
The morning I had a Seizure.
I came back from dropping my son off at day care. Five mins later Home Depot was here dropping off lumber and cement for our back deck. With all the contractors. My stress and anxiety was through the roof.
It also looked like Shane / Shaner Macaulay has a prior history of seizures, which made it impossible for him to even drive:
Thanks @ONtransport . One seizure back in September of 2021. Making it so difficult. @OntarioNDP @CTVNews @680editor can’t drive. Can’t live.
The original video was 2 minutes and 45 seconds long. The video clip that went viral on TikTok and Twitter was (intentionally?) cut short to just 1 minute 21 seconds.
Why was it cut short? Perhaps because at around the 1:42 mark, a Home Depot man can be heard telling the 911 operator that Shane was suffering from a seizure. The man can also be heard confirming to the 911 operator that Shane was breathing (and therefore, still alive).
Fact #5 : Shane Macaulay Was Never Vaccinated Against COVID-19!
No COVID-19 vaccine is known to be capable of causing seizures. In any case, it is impossible for Shaner Macaulay to have suffered a seizure from the COVID-19 vaccine, because he was never vaccinated against COVID-19!
THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN STOLEN AND HAS GONE VIRAL ON TIKTOK. SAYING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET VAXXED.
For the record. I am unvaxxed. And if anything. I am strongly against it. And I would recommend looking up vaccination shedding. Which is what I was looking into. Don’t jump to conclusions without asking myself.
Shane Macaulay even told Stew Peters off for claiming that he suffered the seizure because of the COVID-19 vaccine!
@realstewpeters Hey ass hat. I am the one who had the seizure. That is my video first of all. Secondly. Do some research. I am unvaxxed if that’s what you are referring to. Retweet this to your followers. Set the record straight.
Fact #5 : COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Cause Vaccine Shedding
Shane Macaulay suspects his seizure may be related to the COVID-19 vaccine, even though he was not vaccinated, because of something called “vaccine shedding”.
However that’s not possible, because vaccine / viral shedding is only possible with live, attenuated virus vaccines, which use a weakened form of the virus that can “multiply” and “shed” inside and outside the body.
Vaccine / viral shedding is not possible with current COVID-19 vaccines, because none of them use live, attenuated SARS-CoV-2 viruses! So it is simply impossible for any COVID-19 vaccine currently approved to shed viruses or spike proteins.
Fact #6 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next tragedy…
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, suddenly collapse and die from vaccine-induced cardiac arrest?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-07-14 : Updated with Lisa Marie Presley’s autopsy results and official cause of death! Originally posted @ 2023-01-13
Claim : Lisa Marie Presley Died Suddenly From Vaccine Cardiac Arrest!
Right after news broke that Lisa Marie Presley collapsed and died suddenly from cardiac arrest, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that singer-songwriter and the only child of Elvis Presley was a victim of the COVID-19 vaccine!
the experimental vaccines strike again Lisa Marie Presley dies suddenly from cardiac arrest She was 54
Sad to hear about Lisa Marie Presley. It seems like every day I see another story of an athlete or a big-name person having cardiac arrest. But whatever you do, you can’t talk about the vaccine, right?
Lisa Presley, Elvis’ daughter possible cardiac arrest victim. How many more of these heart failures until we ALL can start asking questions about the mRNA vaccine?
Truth : Lisa Marie Presley Did Not Die From Vaccine Cardiac Arrest!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Lisa Marie Presley Complained Of Stomach Pains
Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) was an American singer-songwriter, who was the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley. She was once married to musician Danny Keough, singer Michael Jackson, actor Nicholas Cage, and music producer Michael Lockwood.
Lisa Marie Presley complained of stomach pains that got more and more intense on early Thursday morning, January 12, 2023.
Later that morning, Lisa Marie was found lying unresponsive in her bedroom by her housekeeper. Her ex-husband, Danny Keough (who lives with Lisa Marie) arrived home after taking their kids to school, and administered CPR until paramedics arrived.
When they arrived, the paramedics gave her at least one epinephrine shot, and managed to restore her pulse before rushing her to a nearby hospital. Her 77 year-old mother, Priscilla Presley confirmed her death on Thursday night:
It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us.
She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment.
Fact #2 : Lisa Marie Presley Died Of Small Bowel Obstruction
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy of Lisa Marie Presley, with the case number of 2023-00513.
Its autopsy report confirmed on Thursday, 13 July 2023 that Lisa Marie Presley died from the “sequelaeof small bowel obstruction“. Her death was ruled as “natural“.
The bowel obstruction that led to Lisa Marie Presley’s death appeared to be caused by adhesions that developed after she underwent bariatric surgery (stomach stapling) many years ago.
Her toxicology results also show that she had “therapeutic” levels of Oxycodone in her blood, as well as a second opioid – Buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid dependence. These opioids may have played a role in her death, as they can cause bowel dysfunction.
There were also traces of Qeutiapine – an antipsychotic drug, in her blood.
To be clear – COVID-19 vaccines cannot cause small bowel obstruction.
Fact #3 : Lisa Marie Presley Had History Of Drug + Alcohol Abuse
The presence of opioids in her system isn’t surprising. The autopsy report confirmed that Lisa Marie Presley underwent a cosmetic procedure a few months before her death, and was prescribed opioids.
But she also has a history of “overmedicating” – forgetting that she took her medication, and taking them again. On top of that, the report also states that, Lisa Marie Presley had a history of drug and alcohol abuse.
She started abusing drugs and alcohol when she was just 13, until her mother checked her into a Scientology rehab center at 17 years old. She then became addicted to opioids in 2008, and was heavily using cocaine by 2013, checking into rehab at least five times.
I did everything but mushrooms and heroin or crack. Cocaine, sedatives, pot, and drinking — all at the same time… I don’t know how I lived through it.
Her son, Benjamin Keough, also had addiction problems, and died by suicide on 12 July 2020, when he was just 27 years old.
Fact #4 : Lisa Marie Presley Was Suspected To Have Heart Disease
While many anti-vaccination activists claimed that Lisa Marie-Presley died from a vaccine-induced cardiac arrest, other people pointed out that she would more likely have died from a heart attack. After all, Lisa Marie Presley had a strong family history of heart disease.
Her father – the great Elvis Presley, prominently died at just 42 years of age, after being found unconscious on the bathroom floor of his Graceland mansion. While his cause of death has always been in dispute, Elvis had an enlarged heart for a long time, with a strong family history of heart failure. Even though it is likely that his long drug use had a part to play, his autopsy confirmed that his heart was enlarged and thickened.
In 2014, his DNA sample was tested by Professor Stefan Shuester and Dr. Stephen Kingsmore, who found that Elvis Presley had a major mutation on Chromosome 11 that is known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – the thickening of the heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure and/or sudden cardiac death.
I should also point out that her grandmother, Gladys Presley, died of a heart attack at just 46 years of age. Her grandfather, Vernon Presley, also died of a heart attack – two years after Elvis passed away.
As Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley not only inherited his wealth, she also inherited his family history of heart disease, including possibly that genetic mutation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Of course, we now know that Lisa Marie Presley died from the consequences of a small bowel obstruction, and not from any heart disease.
Fact #5 : Unknown If Lisa Marie Presley Was Vaccinated Against COVID-19
It is currently unknown if Lisa Marie Presley was vaccinated against COVID-19, as she has never publicly mentioned her vaccination status.
For all we know – she may not even be vaccinated! The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in the United States, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.
Until and unless her family reveals her COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who claims that Lisa Marie Presley received the COVID-19 vaccine is likely lying to you.
Fact #6 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False
This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance. Here is the latest dozen of other false celebrity claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…
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Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : Penang Bridge Did Not Get Hit By Tornado This Morning!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Video Was Recorded In 2017
First, let me just point out that this viral video is not new. It was actually recorded at around 6 PM on 28 March 2017.
So the claim that the tornado appeared near and over the Penang Bridge “this morning” in June 2023 is false.
Since then, it has reappeared on WhatsApp and social media every year or so, usually when it rains heavily during the monsoon season.
Fact #2 : No One Was Injured In The Incident
The viral video shows a waterspout forming near the Penang bridge, and it eventually passes over the motorist recording it before the video cuts out.
To be clear – no one was hurt by that 2017 Penang waterspout, which was a mild one.
Fact #3 : The Video Shows A Waterspout, Not Tornado
Technically, the video does not show a tornado (which forms over land), but a waterspout which forms over a body of water. Waterspouts fall into two categories – tornadic waterspout, and fair weather waterspout.
The more dangerous tornadic waterspout are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water, during severe thunderstorms and are often accompanied by high winds and dangerous lightning .
The Penang Bridge waterspout seen in 2017 is what’s called a fair weather waterspout, which is more common and forms only over open water. Such waterspouts are small and less dangerous, and only form for a brief time.
Waterspouts may be uncommon, but they are not unheard of in Penang. They have been reported in the past:
waterspouts were spotted in the North Channel, and the coast of Butterworth in November 2016
two were reported in Kampung Perlis and Pulau Betong in November 2016
a massive waterspout damaged 28 houses and apartments in Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah in April 2019
A spokesperson for the Meteorological Services Department in Penang said that the rise in global temperatures can increase the frequency of waterspouts.
Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake News About Nature
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about nature. Here are other examples you may have seen on WhatsApp, and social media platforms:
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is Books Kinokuniya giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate gaining 3 million fans?!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Watch Out For The Kinokuniya Free Books Scam!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim Books Kinokuniya is giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate its 50th anniversary!
Hello everyone, this is Books Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Malaysia. 🎉🎉🎉 Signups will soon exceed 3 million. In order to thank our fans for their continuous support, we will send a gift to our fans. 👋Books Kinokuniya store has prepared 1,000 sets of stock books. Free gift to all friends who support Books Kinokuniya. Please add administrator WhatAPP. And send the mailing address, we will mail the book to you for free.
Hello everyone, this is Books Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Malaysia. 🎉🎉🎉 Signups will soon exceed 3 million. In order to thank our fans for their continuous support, we will send a gift to our fans. Books Kinokuniya has prepared 1,000 sets of books in stock. Free gift for all friends who support Books Kinokuniya. Please click on the conversation to add assistant Whats and register the mailing address, we will mail the book to the registered address for you free of charge.
Kinokuniya Free Books Scam : What You Need To Know!
This Kinokuniya free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Kenanga Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
Books Kinokuniya is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert on May 17, 2023:
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Dear customers, We have been made aware of several Facebook accounts that are impersonating us about giving out free books. These accounts go by the name Books Kinokuniya Malaysia, but are NOT operated by us and we are not related to these accounts in any way. PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THESE, Books Kinokuniya Malaysia DOES NOT communicate with customers directly via Whatsapp or add our customers into Whatsapp group chat. Follow our official social media accounts and website as follows : Facebook : Books Kinokuniya Malaysia (https://www.facebook.com/KinokuniyaMalaysia/) Instagram : Kinokuniyamalaysia (https://www.instagram.com/kinokuniyamalaysia/) Corporate Site : www.kinokuniya.com.my Webstore : https://malaysia.kinokuniya.com/ Kinokuniya Malaysia takes this matter seriously and has reported to the relevant authorities on this matter. If you have any queries, you may email to our Customer Service at mys@kinokuniya.com or call us at 03-21648133
Fact #2 : Books Kinokuniya Is A Business, Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. Books Kinokuniya is an investment bank – a business, not a charity. It is not going to give away books just because it has many fans!
Even if it achieved some kind of milestone, it would make sense for Kinokuniya to offer discounts. After all, it’s a corporation whose purpose is to make money, not a charity to give you free books!
Fact #3 : Kinokuniya Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
As mentioned in their warning above, Kinokuniya has a Facebook page, an Instagram page, a corporate website as well as a website. What it does not have is a WhatsApp account!
So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” by messaging a WhatsApp number, be warned!
Please add my WhatsApp message, send me your mailing information, and I will mail you stock books for you for free! My WhatsApp: https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
Fact #4 : Kinokuniya Will Not Ask You To Join WhatsApp Groups
Kinokuniya has stated that it will never ask anyone to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for free books.
Kinokuniya is also a bookstore, not a stock broker or an investment firm. It will never offer you free investment advice, stock tips, or help you buy and sell stocks, etc.
Fact #5 : One Victim Lost RM480K To A Free Book Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
