The lies behind Olena Zelenska’s $1.1m Cartier haul
The anatomy of a disinformation campaign
https://www.economist.com/interactive/science-and-technology/2024/05/01/the-truth-behind-olena-zelenskas-cartier-haul
“In September, a woman claiming to be an intern at Cartier in New York shared her experience of serving Ms Zelenska—and subsequently getting fired—on her Instagram account.
She even had a receipt from Cartier to substantiate her claim. But it was doctored. An investigation by the BBC and Open Online, an Italian news site, later identified the woman using facial-recognition software. Far from being a Cartier employee in New York, she was probably a beautician in St Petersburg. In any case, Ms Zelenska was in Canada on the date listed on the receipt.
By the time the story was gaining traction, the woman’s Instagram account had switched from public to private. But an anonymous YouTube account had already uploaded her story. This video was its only post.”
"You took so long to get that $61 billion,
I had to wear these shoes twice."