Warning as scammers use Turkey’s earthquake to raise funds: Charity victims lured by fake disaster photos and AI-generated images… including a six-fingered firefighter

Scammers are exploiting the tragedy of the Turkey-Syria earthquake to steal money from charity users on social media who want to donate to the victims, a report warns.

The scammers were caught posting images and videos of the tragedy – some of which are fake – on platforms such as TikTok and Twitter, along with messages such as “Pray for Turkey,” “Let’s help Turkey,” and “Donate to the victims .” of the earthquake’.

But while they claim to be raising money for survivors of the disaster – which left more than 35,000 people dead and millions more without shelter, food or water – the scammers are putting donation funds into their own accounts.

On TikTok Live, content creators can earn money by receiving digital gifts through the platform, which is especially popular among younger generations.

This is one of the methods revealed in reports by Bleeping Computer (a cyber security-focused news site) and the BBC used by the scammers to rake in money from users affected by the tragedy.

The reports highlighted examples of scams that reporters found online. A report said to have been broadcast live for more than three hours showed a pixelated aerial view of buildings destroyed in the disastrous earthquake.

According to the report, the image was accompanied by explosion sounds. Let’s help Turkey. Donation,” the video caption reads. A screenshot of the post featured a purple thumb that said “donate,” encouraging viewers to send money.

Another video streamed live showed a photo of a child wearing a light blue hat and matching scarf running away from an explosion, the BBC said.

“Please help reach this goal,” was the host’s message in a plea for TikTok donations.

However, Google’s reverse image search – used by the BBC and recreated by MailOnline – finds that the photo was used in 2018, long before the earthquake, with a different caption reading “Stop Afrin Genocide”.

This is a reference to a town in northwestern Syria where Turkish troops and their allies in the Syrian opposition clashed with a Kurdish militia in 2018.

Scammers also use Twitter to share emotional messages along with links to cryptocurrencies that ask for donations from users.

The BBC said an account posted the same call eight times in 12 hours, sharing the same image of a firefighter holding a child surrounded by collapsed buildings.

Another live-streamed video showed a photo of a child wearing a light blue hat and matching scarf running away from an explosion (pictured), the BBC said. However, the image is from 2018 and does not show a child involved in the ongoing earthquake disaster

Pictured: A fake Twitter account asking people to donate using a PayPal link

Pictured: A PayPal donation page asking for donations for survivors of the Turkey-Syria earthquake disaster turned out to be fake

However, in another level of deception, the shared image was not real.

According to Greek newspaper OEMA, it was generated by Midjourney, an artificial intelligence software. Among other indications that the photo was not a real photo, the fireman was found to have six fingers on his right hand.

The BBC also said the cryptocurrency wallet address had been used in other scam tweets since 2018. A second address in the same tweet was posted along with pornographic content on Russian Facebook equivalent VK.

According to the report, the authors contacted the person behind the Twitter account, who denied being a scammer.

The person told the BBC their aim was to “help people affected by the earthquake”. The broadcaster said they had not sent receipts to back up their claim.

It also said it had found other examples on Twitter of people creating fake donation accounts and posting links to a PayPal donation page.

An example of such an account was called @TurkeyRelief. It joined the platform in January, has 31 followers and is asking for donations through PayPal. The site had raised $900 of its $20,000 goal when it was banned.

The Twitter account has also been blocked.

The BBC said it was one of more than 100 fundraisers launched on PayPal asking for donations for the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Bleeping Computer allegedly found websites that route donations to personal PayPal wallets.

The tech news site noted that PayPal has not been in business in Turkey since 2016, so Twitter accounts with usernames that sound “Turkish” and claim to be based in Turkey — even if a PayPal account is linked — are likely to be untrustworthy .

Bleeping Computer also reported on fake charities and emails sent by scammers. Similar practices were observed in the exploitation of the war in Ukraine, it said.

PayPal told the BBC that while many accounts have “the best of intentions”, it is inevitable that some people will try to exploit charities.

“PayPal teams are always working diligently to investigate and suspend accounts, especially after events like the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, so that donations go to charity,” the channel said in a statement.

TikTok said it was “saddened” by the earthquake and was contributing to the relief effort. “We are also actively working to prevent people from being scammed and duping members of the community who want to help,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

The Chinese platform has faced criticism in the past after research found it takes 70 percent of donations made through the app. The company says it’s less.

The UK Charity Commission has urged the public to “donate safely” in support of relief efforts in Turkey and Syria.

Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Charity Commission, praised the generosity of people who donated to relief funds for disaster survivors.

However, she also warned that scammers and scammers will take the opportunity to take advantage of good-hearted people.

“The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have been devastating and the daily news reports and rising death toll make for distressing reading, but the public response is testament to the incredible kindness and generosity that exists in the UK,” they said in a statement. MailOnline.

Unfortunately, such events also provide opportunities for scammers and scammers. As new opportunities become available, including popular social media platforms, scammers will find new ways to trick people into diverting money from those in need.

People wait with hope for news of their loved ones as search and rescue teams sift through the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras February 14, 2023

“However, this should not stop the public from making a contribution to help those affected by the shocking effects of the recent earthquakes. Instead, we remind everyone to always follow our key steps to avoid scammers when giving, such as: B. Check our online registration,” said Ms. Stephenson said.

The charity committee said there are five steps people can take to verify that their donations are going to a really good cause.

It advises people to check the charity register, make sure the charity is genuine before transferring money, be careful when replying to emails or clicking on links, research the charity online before donating and afterwards to look for signs of accreditation.

It also urges people to contact the police or commit fraud if they believe someone fundraising for charity is not genuine.