Conspiracy theories aimed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been circulating on social media since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. One recent example, falsely attributed to a “Pentagon official,” is the unfounded claim that Zelensky is the cousin of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
A bogus social media story uses a doctored image of an indictment to falsely claim George Soros has been arrested in the U.S. “for election interference.” The actual charges are against six Russian nationals for cyberattacks.
A super PAC “solely dedicated to building a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.”
A photo was manipulated to show young climate activist Greta Thunberg with philanthropist George Soros, who is known for funding progressive causes. The original image was of Thunberg and former vice president Al Gore.
A not-so-fond look back at the worst viral deceptions of the year.
Q: Is there a bogus viral meme circulating online that purports to show Holocaust survivor George Soros as a Nazi soldier?
A: It is bogus. The photo in the meme is of a Nazi guard who died earlier this year. It is not Soros.
Q: Is George Soros paying Central Americans to immigrate to the U.S.?
A: That’s an unsubstantiated claim that began with a tweet from Rep. Matt Gaetz and then spread widely online.
Q: Is there a photo circulating online that shows Christine Blasey Ford with George Soros?
A: No. The woman featured in the viral photo with Soros isn’t Ford.
Q: Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tied to George Soros?
A: Not directly. Her campaign gained momentum from an interview she gave on an internet show that is supported, in part, by a nonprofit that received a grant from an organization that received funding from a Soros foundation.
Q: Did Facebook hire George Soros “to remove ‘unwanted’ Conservative content from the platform to better regulate elections”?
A: No. A false story mischaracterizes Soros’ ties to the Atlantic Council, which has partnered with Facebook on an elections integrity project.