#Fact Check: Viral Footage from Bangladesh Incorrectly Portrayed as Immigrant March for Violence in Assam.
Executive Summary:
As we researched a viral social media video we encountered, we did a comprehensive fact check utilizing reverse image search. The video circulated with the claim that it shows illegal Bangladeshi in Assam's Goalpara district carrying homemade spears and attacking a police and/or government official. Our findings are certain that this claim is false. This video was filmed in the Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh, on July 1, 2025, during a political argument involving two rival factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The footage has been intentionally misrepresented, putting the report into context regarding Assam to disseminate false information.
Claim:
The viral video shows illegal Bangladeshi immigrants armed with spears marching in Goalpara, Assam, with the intention of attacking police or officials.
Fact Check:
To establish if the claim was valid, we performed a reverse image search on some of the key frames from the video. We did our research on a number of news articles and social media posts from Bangladeshi sources. This led us to a reality check as the events confirmed in these reports took place in Ashtagram, Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh, in a violent political confrontation between factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on July 1, 2025, that ultimately resulted in about 40 injuries.
We also found on local media, in particular, Channel i News reported full accounts of the viral report and showed images from the video post. The individuals seen in the video were engaged in a political fight and wielding makeshift spears rather than transitioning into a cross-border attack. The Assam Police issued an official response on X (formerly Twitter) that denied the claim, while noting that nothing of that nature occurred in Goalpara nor in any other district of Assam.
Conclusion:
Based on our research, we conclude that the viral video does not show unlawful Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam. It depicts a political clash in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, on July 1, 2025. The claim attached to the video is completely untrue and is intended to mislead the public as to where and what the incident depicted is.
Claim: Video shows illegal migrants with spears moving in groups to assault police!
Claimed On: Social Media
Fact Check: False and Misleading
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Introduction
Global cybersecurity spending is expected to breach USD 210 billion in 2025, a ~10% increase from 2024 (Gartner). This is a result of an evolving and increasingly critical threat landscape enabled by factors such as the proliferation of IoT devices, the adoption of cloud networks, and the increasing size of the internet itself. Yet, breaches, misuse, and resistance persist. In 2025, global attack pressure rose ~21% Y-o-Y ( Q2 averages) (CheckPoint) and confirmed breaches climbed ~15%( Verizon DBIR). This means that rising investment in cybersecurity may not be yielding proportionate reductions in risk. But while mechanisms to strengthen technical defences and regulatory frameworks are constantly evolving, the social element of trust and how to embed it into cybersecurity systems remain largely overlooked.
Human Error and Digital Trust (Individual Trust)
Human error is consistently recognised as the weakest link in cybersecurity. While campaigns focusing on phishing prevention, urging password updates and using two-factor authentication (2FA) exist, relying solely on awareness measures to address human error in cyberspace is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Rather, it needs to be examined through the lens of digital trust. As Chui (2022) notes, digital trust rests on security, dependability, integrity, and authenticity. These factors determine whether users comply with cybersecurity protocols. When people view rules as opaque, inconvenient, or imposed without accountability, they are more likely to cut corners, which creates vulnerabilities. Therefore, building digital trust means shifting from blaming people to design: embedding transparency, usability, and shared responsibility towards a culture of cybersecurity so that users are incentivised to make secure choices.
Organisational Trust and Insider Threats (Institutional Trust)
At the organisational level, compliance with cybersecurity protocols is significantly tied to whether employees trust employers/platforms to safeguard their data and treat them with integrity. Insider threats, stemming from both malicious and non-malicious actors, account for nearly 60% of all corporate breaches (Verizon DBIR 2024). A lack of trust in leadership may cause employees to feel disengaged or even act maliciously. Further, a 2022 study by Harvard Business Review finds that adhering to cybersecurity protocols adds to employee workload. When they are perceived as hindering productivity, employees are more likely to intentionally violate these protocols. The stress of working under surveillance systems that feel cumbersome or unreasonable, especially when working remotely, also reduces employee trust and, hence, compliance.
Trust, Inequality, and Vulnerability (Structural Trust)
Cyberspace encompasses a social system of its own since it involves patterned interactions and relationships between human beings. It also reproduces the social structures and resultant vulnerabilities of the physical world. As a result, different sections of society place varying levels of trust in digital systems. Women, rural, and marginalised groups often distrust existing digital security provisions more, and with reason. They are targeted disproportionately by cyber attackers, and yet are underprotected by systems, since these are designed prioritising urban/ male/ elite users. This leads to citizens adopting workarounds like password sharing for “safety” and disengaging from cyber safety discourse, as they find existing systems inaccessible or irrelevant to their realities. Cybersecurity governance that ignores these divides deepens exclusion and mistrust.
Laws and Compliances (Regulatory Trust)
Cybersecurity governance is operationalised in the form of laws, rules, and guidelines. However, these may often backfire due to inadequate design, reducing overall trust in governance mechanisms. For example, CERT-In’s mandate to report breaches within six hours of “noticing” it has been criticised as the steep timeframe being insufficient to generate an effective breach analysis report. Further, the multiplicity of regulatory frameworks in cross-border interactions can be costly and lead to compliance fatigue for organisations. Such factors can undermine organisational and user trust in the regulation’s ability to protect them from cyber attacks, fuelling a check-box-ticking culture for cybersecurity.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is addressed primarily through code, firewall, and compliance today. But evidence suggests that technological and regulatory fixes, while essential, are insufficient to guarantee secure behaviour and resilient systems. Without trust in institutions, technologies, laws or each other, cybersecurity governance will remain a cat-and-mouse game. Building a trust-based architecture requires mechanisms to improve accountability, reliability, and transparency. It requires participatory designs of security systems and the recognition of unequal vulnerabilities. Thus, unless cybersecurity governance acknowledges that cyberspace is deeply social, investment may not be able to prevent the harms it seeks to curb.
References
- https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-07-29
- https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/global-cyber-attacks-surge-21-in-q2-2025
- https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2024-dbir-executive-summary.pdf
- https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2025-dbir-executive-summary.pdf
- https://insights2techinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Building-Digital-Trust-Challenges-and-Strategies-in-Cybersecurity.pdf
- https://www.coe.int/en/web/cyberviolence/cyberviolence-against-women
- https://www.upguard.com/blog/indias-6-hour-data-breach-reporting-rule
Executive Summary:
A number of false information is spreading across social media networks after the users are sharing the mistranslated video with Indian Hindus being congratulated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya under Uttar Pradesh state. Our CyberPeace Research Team’s investigation clearly reveals that those allegations are based on false grounds. The true interpretation of the video that actually is revealed as Meloni saying thank you to those who wished her a happy birthday.
Claims:
A X (Formerly known as Twitter) user’ shared a 13 sec video where Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking in Italian and user claiming to be congratulating India for Ram Mandir Construction, the caption reads,
“Italian PM Giorgia Meloni Message to Hindus for Ram Mandir #RamMandirPranPratishta. #Translation : Best wishes to the Hindus in India and around the world on the Pran Pratistha ceremony. By restoring your prestige after hundreds of years of struggle, you have set an example for the world. Lots of love.”
Fact Check:
The CyberPeace Research team tried to translate the Video in Google Translate. First, we took out the transcript of the Video using an AI transcription tool and put it on Google Translate; the result was something else.
The Translation reads, “Thank you all for the birthday wishes you sent me privately with posts on social media, a lot of encouragement which I will treasure, you are my strength, I love you.”
With this we are sure that it was not any Congratulations message but a thank you message for all those who sent birthday wishes to the Prime Minister.
We then did a reverse Image Search of frames of the Video and found the original Video on the Prime Minister official X Handle uploaded on 15 Jan, 2024 with caption as, “Grazie. Siete la mia” Translation reads, “Thank you. You are my strength!”
Conclusion:
The 13 Sec video shared by a user had a great reach at X as a result many users shared the Video with Similar Caption. A Misunderstanding starts from one Post and it spreads all. The Claims made by the X User in Caption of the Post is totally misleading and has no connection with the actual post of Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking in Italian. Hence, the Post is fake and Misleading.
- Claim: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Hindus in the context of Ram Mandir
- Claimed on: X
- Fact Check: Fake
Introduction
Considering the development of technology, Voice cloning schemes are one such issue that has recently come to light. Scammers are moving forward with AI, and their methods and plans for deceiving and scamming people have also altered. Deepfake technology creates realistic imitations of a person’s voice that can be used to conduct fraud, dupe a person into giving up crucial information, or even impersonate a person for illegal purposes. We will look at the dangers and risks associated with AI voice cloning frauds, how scammers operate and how one might protect themselves from one.
What is Deepfake?
Artificial intelligence (AI), known as “deepfake,” can produce fake or altered audio, video, and film that pass for the real thing. The words “deep learning” and “fake” are combined to get the name “deep fake”. Deepfake technology creates content with a realistic appearance or sound by analysing and synthesising diverse volumes of data using machine learning algorithms. Con artists employ technology to portray someone doing something that has never been in audio or visual form. The best example is the American President, who used deep voice impersonation technology. Deep voice impersonation technology can be used maliciously, such as in deep voice fraud or disseminating false information. As a result, there is growing concerned about the potential influence of deep fake technology on society and the need for effective tools to detect and mitigate the hazards it may provide.
What exactly are deepfake voice scams?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is sometimes utilised in deepfake speech frauds to create synthetic audio recordings that seem like real people. Con artists can impersonate someone else over the phone and pressure their victims into providing personal information or paying money by using contemporary technology. A con artist may pose as a bank employee, a government official, or a friend or relative by utilising a deep false voice. It aims to earn the victim’s trust and raise the likelihood that they will fall for the hoax by conveying a false sense of familiarity and urgency. Deep fake speech frauds are increasing in frequency as deep fake technology becomes more widely available, more sophisticated, and harder to detect. In order to avoid becoming a victim of such fraud, it is necessary to be aware of the risks and take appropriate measures.
Why do cybercriminals use AI voice deep fake?
In order to mislead users into providing private information, money, or system access, cybercriminals utilise artificial intelligence (AI) speech-deep spoofing technology to claim to be people or entities. Using AI voice-deep fake technology, cybercriminals can create audio recordings that mimic real people or entities, such as CEOs, government officials, or bank employees, and use them to trick victims into taking activities that are advantageous to the criminals. This can involve asking victims for money, disclosing login credentials, or revealing sensitive information. In phishing assaults, where fraudsters create audio recordings that impersonate genuine messages from organisations or people that victims trust, deepfake AI voice technology can also be employed. These audio recordings can trick people into downloading malware, clicking on dangerous links, or giving out personal information. Additionally, false audio evidence can be produced using AI voice-deep fake technology to support false claims or accusations. This is particularly risky regarding legal processes because falsified audio evidence may lead to wrongful convictions or acquittals. Artificial intelligence voice deep fake technology gives con artists a potent tool for tricking and controlling victims. Every organisation and the general population must be informed of this technology’s risk and adopt the appropriate safety measures.
How to spot voice deepfake and avoid them?
Deep fake technology has made it simpler for con artists to edit audio recordings and create phoney voices that exactly mimic real people. As a result, a brand-new scam called the “deep fake voice scam” has surfaced. In order to trick the victim into handing over money or private information, the con artist assumes another person’s identity and uses a fake voice. What are some ways to protect oneself from deepfake voice scams? Here are some guidelines to help you spot them and keep away from them:
- Steer clear of telemarketing calls
- One of the most common tactics used by deep fake voice con artists, who pretend to be bank personnel or government officials, is making unsolicited phone calls.
- Listen closely to the voice
- Anyone who phones you pretending to be someone else should pay special attention to their voice. Are there any peculiar pauses or inflexions in their speech? Something that doesn’t seem right can be a deep voice fraud.
- Verify the caller’s identity
- It’s crucial to verify the caller’s identity in order to avoid falling for a deep false voice scam. You might ask for their name, job title, and employer when in doubt. You can then do some research to be sure they are who they say they are.
- Never divulge confidential information
- No matter who calls, never give out personal information like your Aadhar, bank account information, or passwords over the phone. Any legitimate companies or organisations will never request personal or financial information over the phone; if they do, it’s a warning sign that they’re a scammer.
- Report any suspicious activities
- Inform the appropriate authorities if you think you’ve fallen victim to a deep voice fraud. This may include your bank, credit card company, local police station, or the nearest cyber cell. By reporting the fraud, you could prevent others from being a victim.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the field of AI voice deep fake technology is fast expanding and has huge potential for beneficial and detrimental effects. While deep fake voice technology has the potential to be used for good, such as improving speech recognition systems or making voice assistants sound more realistic, it may also be used for evil, such as deep fake voice frauds and impersonation to fabricate stories. Users must be aware of the hazard and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves as AI voice deep fake technology develops, making it harder to detect and prevent deep fake schemes. Additionally, it is necessary to conduct ongoing research and develop efficient techniques to identify and control the risks related to this technology. We must deploy AI appropriately and ethically to ensure that AI voice-deep fake technology benefits society rather than harming or deceiving it.
