#FactCheck-2013 Video of Attack on Bulgarian Politician Falsely Shared as Recent Assault on Benjamin Netanyahu
Research Wing
Innovation and Research
PUBLISHED ON
Oct 30, 2026
10
Executive Summary
In the October 2026 general elections in Israel, no political party secured a clear majority. Benjamin Netanyahu will remain the caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. Meanwhile, a video showing an attack on a man is going viral on social media. In the video, a man can be seen delivering a speech on stage when another person approaches him with a gun and attacks him. The video is being shared with the claim that it shows a recent alleged attack on Benjamin Netanyahu.
CyberPeace Research found that the viral video has no connection to Benjamin Netanyahu. In fact, the video shows an attack on a Bulgarian politician in January 2013. The old and unrelated video is now being shared with a false claim.
Claim:
Facebook user ‘Newscap | News That Matters’ shared the video on October 29, 2026, with the caption: “Breaking: A very dangerous attack on Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. It looks like he has sustained serious injuries, and a plane is being sent to take him to the US.”
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we first extracted several keyframes from the video and searched for them using Google Lens. During this process, we found the viral video on the YouTube channel of a UK-based account, ‘Onlooker UK’. The video was uploaded on January 19, 2013.
According to the information provided with the video, Ahmed Dogan, leader of Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), was delivering a speech on stage when a man attempted to attack him and pointed a gun at him. However, security guards immediately apprehended the attacker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0ASapgPMM
Based on the information obtained, we conducted a Google search using relevant keywords. We found a news report related to the incident, published on the Reuters website on January 19, 2013. According to the report, police said that the attacker had been arrested and was a resident of Burgas, a city on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The man was also carrying two knives.
Our research found that the video being circulated with the claim of an alleged attack on Benjamin Netanyahu is old and unrelated. It actually shows an attack on a Bulgarian politician in January 2013.
Cyber incidents are evolving along with time, they are designed to attract and lure people through social networking sites and/or messaging services. In the recent past a spate of messages alleging that TRAI is offering ‘3 months free recharge with free voice calls and internet for 4g/5g with 200 GB free data’. These messages display the TRAI logo with attractive offers to trick the users into revealing their personal details. This blog discusses the functioning of this free mobile recharge scheme, its methods and guidelines on how to avoid such fake schemes. This blog explains the importance of vigilance and verification when receiving any links, emphasizing the need to report suspicious activities and educate others to prevent identity theft and protect personal information.
Claim:
The message circulated an enticing offer: free mobile recharge for 3 months which provides unlimited free voice calls with 200GB 4G/5G data with TRAI logo. The key characteristics of the false claims are
Official Branding: The logo of TRAI has been viewed as a deceptive facade of credibility.
Unrealistic Offers: It is accompanied by a free recharge , which is intended for an extended period indefinite period, like most fraudsters’ bait.
Urgency and Exclusivity: The offer is for a limited time to make urgency forcing the receiver to take the offer without confirmation.
The Deceptive Scheme:
Organized systematically, the fraudulent campaign usually proceeds in several steps, all of which aim at extracting the victim’s personal data. Here’s a breakdown of the scheme:
1. Initial Contact: Such messages or calls reach the users’ inboxes or phone numbers through social media applications such as WhatsApp or through text messages. These messages further implies that the user was chosen for the special offer from TRAI, which elicits the interest of the user.
2. Information Request: To claim the purported offer, users are directed to a website or asked to reply with personal details, including:
Phone number
State of residence
SIM provider details
This is useful for the scammers as they harvest information which can be used to conduct identity theft or sold to others on the shady part of the internet known as the ‘Dark Web’.
3. Fake Confirmation: After providing all the information, a congratulatory message appears on the screen showing that their phone number is eligible for the offer. The user is compelled to forward the message to many phone numbers through whatsapp to get the offer.
4. Pressure Tactics: The message often implies a sense of time constraint or fear which psychologically produces pressure to provide all the user information. For example, users are given messages such as that if they do not ‘act now’, they will lose their mobile service.
Analyzing the Fraudulent Campaign
The TRAI fraudulent recharge scheme case depicts that social engineering is used in cyber crimes. Here are some key aspects that characterize this campaign:
Sophisticated Social Engineering
Scammers take advantage of the holders’ confidence in official bodies such as TRAI. By using official TRAI logos, official language they try to deceive even cautious people.
Viral Spread
The user is compelled to share the given message to friends and groups; this is an excellent strategy to spread the scam. It not only spreads the fraudulent message but also tries to extract the details of other people.
Technical Analysis
Domain Name: SGOFF[.]CYOU
Registry Domain ID: D472308342-CNIC
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.hkdns.hk
Registrar URL: http://www.hkdns.hk
Updated Date: 2024-07-24T18:50:48.0Z
Creation Date: 2024-07-19T18:48:44.0Z
Registry Expiry Date: 2025-07-19T23:59:59.0Z
Registrar: West263 International Limited
Registrar IANA ID: 1915
Registrant State/Province: Anhui
Registrant Country: CN
Name Server: NORMAN.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
Name Server: PAM.NS.CLOUDFLARE.COM
DNSSEC: unsigned
Cloudflare Inc. is used to cover the scam. The real website always uses the older domain while this url has been registered recently which indicates that this link is a scam.
Img source: Virus Total
The graph indicates that some of the communicated files and websites are malicious.
CyberPeace Advisory and Best Practice:
In light of the growing threat posed by such scams, the Research Wing of CyberPeace recommend the following best practices to help users protect themselves:
1. Verify Communications: It is always advisable to visit the official site of the organization or call the official contact numbers of the company to speak to their customer care and clarify about the offers.
2. Do not share personal information: No genuine organization will call the people for personal information. Step carefully and do not provide personal information that will lead to identity theft when dealing with such offers.
3. Report Fraudulent Activity: If one receives any calls or messages that seem to be suspicious, then the user can report cyber crimes to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal on www. cybercrime. gov. in or call on 1930. Such scams are reportable and assist the authorities in tracking and fighting the vice.
4. Educate Others : Always raise awareness among friends by sharing these kinds of scams. Educating people helps to avoid them falling prey to such fraudulent schemes.
5. Use Reliable Resources : Always refer to official sources or websites for any kind of offers or promotions.
Conclusion:
The free recharge scheme for 3 months with the logo of TRAI is a fraudulent scam. There is no official information from TRAI or in their official website about this free recharge scheme. Though the scheme looks attractive, it is deceptive. Through this, the scammers are trying to collect personal details of the individual. Before clicking any links, it is necessary to check the authenticity of the information, report these kinds of incidents to spread awareness among people. Always be safe and be vigilant.
A video featuring Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that he issued a strict warning against student protesters. In the viral clip, Singh is allegedly heard saying that the government would not tolerate “anarchy” and that strict action would be taken against those blocking roads, disturbing public order, or damaging government property. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the claim to be false. The research revealed that the original video available on Rajnath Singh’s official YouTube channel was digitally altered by adding AI-generated audio. The statement heard in the viral video is not genuine and was created using artificial intelligence.
Claim:
An account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with the username @ForumDefence, shared a video on July 22, 2026, claiming that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had issued a warning regarding the ongoing student protest. The video features an AI-generated voice attributed to Rajnath Singh, in which he is allegedly heard saying: “Taking advantage of the student movement, the unrest and violence being spread over the past few days are strongly condemned by the government. Expressing one’s views is a democratic right, but breaking the law and creating difficulties for the public in its name will not be tolerated. The government will not tolerate such anarchy. Anyone attempting to block roads, disturb peace, or damage government property will face strict action.”
The link, archive link and screenshot of the post are provided below:
To verify the viral claim, the Desk conducted a keyword search on Google. However, no credible news report or official statement was found confirming that Rajnath Singh had made such remarks regarding the student protest.
During further research, the Desk found the original video on the official YouTube channel of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. A comparison between the viral clip and the original video showed that the statements attributed to Singh in the viral video did not match his actual remarks. In the original video, Rajnath Singh was speaking about the ongoing protests in Delhi. He said that the protests were a matter of serious concern and expressed that it was unfortunate that some people were attempting to use students and youth as a political tool for their own interests.
He further stated that the government was committed to addressing the concerns of students and youth, and that dialogue and discussion were the appropriate ways to resolve issues in a democracy.
The original video from Rajnath Singh’s official YouTube channel can be accessed here:
Further analysis of the viral video’s audio was conducted using the AI detection tool Resemble AI. The analysis indicated that the audio had a 99.10 per cent probability of being AI-generated.
The Desk also examined the viral video using the AI detection tool HIVE Moderation. The analysis suggested that the speech used in the video had an 88.1 per cent probability of being AI-generated.
Conclusion:
The research established that the viral video featuring Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been digitally manipulated by adding AI-generated audio. The statement attributed to Singh regarding strict action against student protesters is not genuine. The original video available on Rajnath Singh’s official YouTube channel contains different remarks, and the viral clip has been circulated with a false and misleading claim.
A video is being widely shared on social media with the claim that a female journalist was assaulted by the Delhi Police. The video is being shared with the claim that a female police officer from the Delhi Police is seen assaulting and misbehaving with a female journalist. In the video, a woman wearing a police uniform can be seen allegedly assaulting another woman. Research by the Research Wing of CyberPeace found that the video is actually from a movie shoot. Social media users are sharing it with a misleading claim.
Claim
Social media users shared the video with the caption: “A female journalist is being beaten up by the Delhi Police. What will happen to ordinary people?”
While investigating the video being shared with the claim that a female journalist was assaulted by the Delhi Police, we conducted a reverse image search of its keyframes. During the search, we found the same video on a Facebook page called ‘CineEdge Media-Behind the Scenes’. The video was uploaded on the page on June 26, 2026. The description and hashtags used with the video indicate that it is not footage of an actual police action, but is related to a film shoot.
In addition, the bio of the aforementioned Facebook page states that it posts videos featuring film acting sequences, action thrillers, and behind-the-scenes footage from movies
As part of the research, we also examined the CineEdge Media YouTube account. We found that the account has uploaded videos related to films and acting
Conclusion
The evidence gathered during our research makes it clear that the video being shared with the claim that a female journalist was assaulted by the Delhi Police is actually footage from a movie shoot. The video was found on a social media page that shares film-related content, including acting sequences, action scenes and behind-the-scenes footage. Therefore, the claim that the video shows a female journalist being assaulted by the Delhi Police is misleading.
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