- Some Brazilian news media reported on Wednesday that a man dressed as Santa Claus was arrested for theft in the northeastern city of Recife.
- However, the incident was part of a prank recorded by a group of social media influencers
- The viral video showed two actors dressed as police officers handcuffing the fake Santa Claus before leading him away
It's always better to double check the sources on your list before publishing a story.
A few Brazilian news outlets were tricked into thinking that a man dressed as Santa Claus was arrested for theft, when in reality it was a prank orchestrated by a bevy of social media influencers.
The footage went viral on Wednesday when two influencers dressed as police officers were filmed handcuffing and escorting Santa Claus down a street in the northeastern city of Recife.
Shocked bystanders could be seen holding up their cellphones in disbelief as the actor-cops restrained the fake Santa Claus.
Brazilian influencers carried out a prank in the northeastern city on Wednesday, filming the arrest of a man dressed as Santa Claus. Several news outlets reported that the person was actually arrested for stealing from area stores before the influencers revealed it was all a prank
Influencers in Brazil captured the hilarious moment a man wearing a Santa outfit was arrested and taken to the city of Recife
The “evil” Santa was led down the sidewalk while one of the fake officers held a red gift bag containing items that news media reported had been stolen from several area stores.
Video clips of the fabricated arrest were shared widely on social media before being cleared up hours later.
“How do you post something like that as if it were true?” said one YouTuber, according to online news outlet O Bem Dito. “This was a prank filmed by comedian YouTubers from Recife, including Rafael Chocolate.”
Rafael Chocolate, who has more than 856,000 followers on Instagram, promised to upload a full video of the production to YouTube on Thursday.
“Due to all the consequences, we will do our best to publish the video of this operation on the channel tomorrow,” he said in an Instagram Story.
Brazilian influencer Rafael Chocolate planned to release the full recording of the joke he and other comedians made on Wednesday about a man dressed as Santa Claus being arrested
Despite the joke, the state of Pernambuco has focused on strengthening security measures in several cities during the holidays.
Despite the joke, the state of Pernambuco has focused on strengthening security measures in several cities during the holidays.
Extra police officers were deployed in Recife, the capital, on Friday to ensure businesses and shoppers were safe.
Police presence was increased in the nearby town of Sertao, where 500 officers were deployed.
Another 300 officers were also assigned to ensure security in the towns of Petrolina, Dormentes and Afranio.