A scripted video showing a woman waiting for a cab being abducted by a group of men in a moving van, is viral across social media platforms with a false claim that it shows CCTV footage of a real incident.
However, BOOM traced the video to a Facebook page that is known for creating dramatized videos and passing them off as CCTV footage.
BOOM has debunked several videos created by 'influencers' on Facebook who create dramatized videos to gain followers and go viral. The creators claim that they make such videos to raise awareness and for 'educational purposes' only. However, these videos, which have views in millions, are often taken out of context and go viral with misleading and Islamophobic claims.
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The video, which has been edited to look like CCTV footage captured on November 21, 2021, is being shared on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, warning women to be aware of their surroundings.
The clip has English sub-titles describing the video. The subtitles explain how a woman while waiting for a cab at night fails to spot a man acting suspiciously behind her. The man signals to someone not seen in the frame. A black van then stops in front of the woman and at least two men inside the van drag the woman into the vehicle.
The video has gone viral with text warning women to be careful about their safety.
'Tell your sisters and daughters not to be too busy on their mobiles whilst on the road and watch out for anything suspicious and raise an alarm by screaming,' the text when translated from Hindi says.
(Translated from Hindi - अपनी बहन बेटियों को बताएं रोड पर मोबाइल पर ज्यादा बिजी ना रहे और चारों तरफ नजर रखें अगर कुछ गलत दिखे तो चिल्लाए जोर से चिल्लाए)
The post can be viewed below.
Viral on Facebook
The video was also quote tweeted by Congress' Alka Lamba.
FACT CHECK
BOOM watched the video closely and found that the same clip which has been created by recording a public Facebook post with the video, is being shared across all platforms.
The text *janaa Galrani is visible at 0.55 mark in the video. The globe icon next to the name indicates that it is a public Facebook post.
A keyword search of the name led us to the page - Sanjjanna Galrani - a verified Facebook page with over three million followers.
The 'Intro' on the page says, "I do share videos and scripted dramas to create awareness."
Sanjjanaa Galrani describes herself as an actor. Details on the page state that she is based in Bangalore.
The post featuring the viral staged abduction video appears to be deleted. However, other videos uploaded by the page show that it often posts dramatized videos passed off as 'true crime' incidents captured on CCTV.
The clips show the same style of sub-titles and arrows and circles to help the viewer understand the story.
BOOM has reached out to the page and will update the story if we receive a reply.
In October, BOOM debunked a video which showed a man lacing a woman's drink in a restaurant and an alert staffer who foiled the man's plan. The video went viral with a false claim that the 'perpetrator' was a Muslim. BOOM found that the video was created by the verified Facebook page of Hamsa Nandini. The page has over 2.9 million followers and has shared several similar scripted CCTV footage-like videos. Read our fact check here.
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(This story has been updated to include Alka Lamba's tweet)