Fake Hurricane Sandy picture of the Statue of Liberty being shared on social media
No matter what part of the country you're in, it's nearly impossible
not to be aware of the devastation and destruction that superstorm Sandy
wrought as it pummeled the East Coast of the United States. In fact,
with 24-hour news coverage, there are seemingly endless photos and
videos being shared via social media. But not all the images -- nor the
captions that accompany them -- are real.
At least 10 fake photos, either digitally altered or pulled from movies, have
surfaced on the Web so far. One of the most
retweeted
and shared photos shows the Statue of Liberty with the eye of the
hurricane looming above her head. Lady Liberty turned 126 years old on
October 28, and the picture is not a real depiction of what it endured
during the storm. The photograph is, in fact, a mashup of two photos:
one is of the Statue of Liberty, and the other is of a thunderstorm over
Nebraska in 2004.
An image that has been
shared
by many on social media is one of soldiers guarding the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier; it's purported to have been taken during the storm. In
actuality, though, the photo was taken back in September. Other images
include a flooded
McDonald's
with Ronald McDonald himself floating among debris at a Virginia Beach
location. (This particular image was shared more than 1,100 times on
Twitter.) The picture actually came from a video by
Superflex
called "Flooded McDonald's." There are also photos of ominous clouds
over the George Washington Bridge, which connects New York and New
Jersey. While the photo of the bridge is real, it's from 2009. And then
there are the photos uploaded by Kevin P. McCarty of New Jersey, and
you'll have to judge them for yourself. He posted an image of flooding
to his
Facebook page,
including a glimpse of what appears to be a shark in the water outside
of his home. Some people are calling his bluff. What do you think -- is
it real or is it fake?
One thing is for sure: The reality outside our doors will provide
plenty of disaster images. May those who take the time to record them
stay out of harm's way and provide us all with a sense of the true
extent of this superstorm's wrath.
[Related:
Hurricane Sandy, Waiting, Fake Pictures, First Glimpses]
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Image supposedly showing the inside of a McDonald's during superstorm Sandy
Fake image of the George Washington bridge being shared on social media
Image from September of Tomb of Unknown Soldier being falsely shared on social media as a Hurricane Sandy image …
Photo uploaded by New Jersey resident supposedly showing a shark in the water outside of his home
