Users are being urged to exercise caution when clicking on links shared on social media. The fact-checking platform StopFals has identified a fake MoldovaLive page on Facebook and Instagram impersonating the news outlet, which is part of the Realitatea Media Group.
According to StopFals, the cloned page has been promoting dozens of sponsored posts featuring AI-generated images. The posts encourage users to visit a website allegedly related to business opportunities. Headlines such as “Scandal live on air!” and “Breaking news!” are paired with images of well-known public figures.
Since July 26, the page has sponsored at least 100 posts containing fabricated stories about supposed scandals during live broadcasts. The manipulated content features journalists, including Anatolie Golea, experts such as Igor Botan, and former public official Andrian Gavrilita.
The emotionally charged headlines and manipulated images are designed to attract users’ attention and persuade them to click through to the website, where they may be asked to provide their contact details. However, the website does not provide any legitimate contact information.
To appear credible, the cloned page also shares genuine articles from the real MoldovaLive website while mixing them with fake AI-generated content. Signs of artificial intelligence use are visible in several posts through inaccurate translations from English into Russian.
The Realitatea Media Group stressed that it has no connection to the cloned page and disassociates itself from its activities. Readers are encouraged to follow MoldovaLive only through its official channels:
- Website: https://moldovalive.md
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moldovalivemd
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moldova__live
- Telegram: https://t.me/moldovaRlive
- X: https://x.com/moldovaliver
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moldovalive