On January 19-24, the Russian-language Facebook accounts and Telegram channels (1;2), as well as the account of the Russian TV channel Царьград published a video, claiming that citizens in France are withdrawing money en masse from their bank accounts because they are worried about the country’s economic instability. According to the video, which features the logo of Euronews, cases of attacks on citizens at ATMs have also increased. In the video, a French economist suggests that the increase in withdrawals was caused by the arrival of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, in Ukraine and the promise of aid.
The video was also shared on Twitter.
A Videofabrication is being disseminated using the Euronews logo. In fact, Euronews has not published any material of similar content. In addition, quotes from French economists on the subject are falsified. The local media did not cover the information about the mass withdrawal of money from bank accounts or attacks on citizens at ATMs.
In fact, Euronews has not published any material of similar content on any platform (1;2;3;4;5), nor has it reported that citizens are withdrawing money from their accounts due to economic instability in France.
The mentioned information and cases of ATM attacks were not covered by the local media, for example, France 24, Le Monde, Le Figaro, etc. “Myth Detector” contacted France 24’s fact-checker, Alexandre Capron, who confirmed to us that no similar information was reported in the French media, and no data about an “84% increase” in the rate of withdrawals from accounts was published in late 2023 and early 2024.
The video fabrication distributed on behalf of Euronews cites the opinion of two French economists, Philippe Aghion, and Olivier Roy. According to the authors of the video, Aghion compared the situation to previous years and said that the rate of withdrawals increased by 84%, which is higher than the rate during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Olivier Roy is credited with a quote according to which French citizens took the mentioned measures after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, arrived in Ukraine and talked about long-term aid. The footage creates the impression that the quotes are taken from the interviews of Olivier Roy and Philippe Aghion. In fact, the used footage is cut from the 2022 interview and the 2021 speech. Roy talks about political Islam, while Aghion talks about “creative destruction” and innovation.
Left: Philippe Aghion’s shot from the 2024 video fabrication. Right: A shot from his 2021 speech
The earliest version of the video fabrication found in open sources was published on January 19, on the Russian-language Telegram channel “Оптимистка в штатском”, owned by the Russian propagandist journalist Polina Reutova.
Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, the names and logos of various famous media, including Euronews, have been periodically used to spread fake videos, which mainly refer to the events developed in Ukraine and the West, and aim to discredit Ukraine and the EU countries. “Myth Detector” has verified fake videos in the name of Euronews in the past as well (1;2).
Video fabrications distributed in the name of prominent media outlets bear common features – the authors use the logos of reliable media to spread disinformation to the public and make the videos look like authentic stories. In addition, the exact source of the false information is sometimes unknown, although the videos are mainly distributed through Russian media and Telegram channels. Also, the videos use general footage cut from different videos. In addition, the videos are often accompanied by music and subtitles; however, it is worth noting that materials prepared by Euronews are not accompanied by music, but by a voiceover.
For more details on the matter, see the article prepared by “Myth Detector:”
About the Source:
The Facebook account Роман Миронов systematically publishes anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western content. The user’s posts have been flagged as fake news by fact-checking organizations.
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