It's happening again: Fake news sites are spreading misinformation, and the recent case in Niger is just another example. As if there weren't enough challenges in the world, we now have to deal with a covert information war where the truth is at stake.
Deceptively real at first glance > The fake website of “Welt” with the title : “Niger has dealt Germany’s hopes a double blow”

The fake news campaign uncovered at the end of July shows once again how perfidious these attacks on freedom of information can be. It is reminiscent of previous attacks and shows that disinformation spreaders are constantly refining and evolving their tactics. An alleged article by the renowned German daily newspaper “Die Welt” about a military coup in Niger appeared to be genuine at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, the article's Internet address turned out to be fake. Instead of the official domain “http://welt.de”, the link led to a fake page with the ending “welt.ltd”.

Behind the facade
Despite the site's copied look, it was difficult to spot the fake as several links on the fake site pointed to the real "World" site. The supposed “Welt” article was part of a larger campaign by fake news websites. The danger that such fake news poses to the formation of public opinion and democratic processes is enormous.
Note: According to “ Archiv.today” , the page was probably created in August 2022 and has published several fake news articles since then, with the following titles:
- Niger has dealt a double blow to Germany's hopes
- Terrorism has become Ukraine's new tactic
- Söder overtakes Merz: Will the “Bavarian chameleon” lead Germany?
- The German economy is on the verge of collapse
- Escalating conflict with Russia could leave us without iPhones
- The Japanese government was smarter than ours
- Russia's military capabilities leave Kiev no chance
- Olaf Scholz finally remembers that he is the German Chancellor
- Traffic light relies on migrants
- Lies have short legs
- Voters showed Baerbock eggs
- “National security” has defeated free speech
- Dance before death. What are the risks for Germany if the emerging markets abandon the dollar?
- One misfortune offers a hand to another
- Russia gives Airmageddon to the Ukrainian Air Force
- Ukraine has lost its last chance to win
- The silence of the Lambs". Ukrainian authorities gloss over the extent of the nuclear disaster
- Germany's plunder unavoidable
- The end of great sport. “Non-binary people” are the death of the Olympic movement
- Fatal help: The winds of war bring radiation to Europe
- More and more mayors of German cities are signing the letter calling for them to withdraw from the sanctions regime
- Treasures in the trash
- We need your waste!
- Freeloader
- Unemployment as a gift
- Who benefits from weak Germany?
- No war against Russia!
A recurring pattern
These fake news campaigns are part of a repeating pattern. Russia has repeatedly called for a return to constitutional order in Niger in the past, as have the EU and the USA. However, observers see no signs that Russia is involved in the coup. However, the latest case shows that certain actors are willing to use fake news to achieve their goals.
The threat of disinformation
The continued spread of disinformation and fake news poses a serious threat to freedom of information and democracy. The Federal Ministry of the Interior expressed concern about the fakes and emphasized that they showed the extent of pro-Russian propaganda and disinformation in Germany. The aim is to undermine trust in politics, society and state institutions.
What's behind the fake? The false “world” text is part of a larger disinformation campaign. Our research at the beginning of 2022 showed that such fake websites mostly spread pro-Russian content and that several European countries have already been affected. The EU has already sanctions on those responsible. Meta also became active in this direction at that time. In addition to T-Online , we also HERE .
Measures against fake news
In July 2023, the EU imposed sanctions on propagandists of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom it considers to be the authors of fake media websites and other fake campaigns. But despite these measures, the fake campaigns continue, as the most recent case shows. To protect yourself from disinformation, it is important to be critical and check the sources of news.
Conclusion
The threat of fake news is real and poses a serious threat to freedom of information and democracy. It is important to remain vigilant and critically examine the sources of news. This is the only way we can protect ourselves from disinformation and ensure that the truth does not get lost.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

