Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Female shooter who carried out a recent attack in Turkiye identified as one “Farah Karim.”
Fact
Video game character Farah Karim has been falsely identified as Turkiye shooter.
At least five people were killed, and multiple others injured in an attack at the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) near Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday. CCTV footage of the attack showing an armed man and woman opening fire has since gone viral on social media platforms.
In this backdrop, several social media users shared a purported photograph of one “Farah Karim,” along with stills/snippets from the CCTV footage, identifying her to be the female shooter involved in the Turkiye attack. A few even alleged her to be a “known CIA asset in the region.”
Multiple X, Facebook and Threads users posted the photograph claiming to show the female shooter who carried out the recent attack in Turkiye. Newschecker, however, found the photo to be of a fictional video game character.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the viral photo of the alleged Turkiye shooter led us to a section about “Farah Karim” a “character from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” on Fandom website. Carrying the same photo, it stated that the character “is the leader of the Urzikstan Liberation Force “ in the popular video game.
We then looked up keywords “Farah Karim” and “COD” on YouTube which yielded multiple videos by gaming channels featuring the character in “Call of Duty.” Such videos can be seen here, here and here.
Also Read: 2021 Video Falsely Linked to ₹5 Crore Seizure in Pune Ahead of Maharashtra Elections
Australian actress Claudia Doumit portrayed the character of Farah Karim in the game. She also posted a photo of the same on her Instagram account in October, 2019.
In a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Doumit shared her experience on playing Urzikstan Liberation Force leader Farah Karim. “To be able to play a Middle Eastern woman like my role models is very special to me. You don’t realise how much it means to you until you are playing a character that you thought would never be written,” she was quoted as saying in the report.
The character can also be seen in the story trailer of the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” uploaded on the official channel on the game in September, 2019.
Conclusion
A photograph of a fictional character Farah Karim has been falsely shared to show the female shooter who carried out the recent attack in Turkiye.
Result: False
Sources
Fandom Website
Report By The Hollywood Reporter, Dated December 12, 2019
YouTube Video By @CallofDuty, Dated September 25, 2019
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
