Fake News Website Posing As ABC News Again Fools Internet
A website posing as ABC News has again trolled the internet by claiming, “President Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Sale Of Assault Weapons.” The fake “news” site manipulates readers with a logo that looks very similar to the real ABC News logo, except it’s slightly oval instead of round. It further attempts to appear as a real news site by appearing to claim its stories are from the Associated Press, with the iconic AP initials at the start of its stories.
Even its web address looks like it is ABC News: http://abcnews.com.co. The real ABC News however is http://abcnews.go.com.
The fake news story is designed to create heightened emotions – either of satisfaction or anger – and the story will go viral because it feeds on people’s emotions about very important issues, like gun control after the nation’s worst mass shooting, and deadliest terror attack since 9/11.
Here’s an excerpt:
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President Obama promises large scale Homeland Security raids if gun violence does not subside
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Executive Order includes mandatory 30 day waiting period on all new firearm sales
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Felony prison time for those who do not comply with the new law
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) — After Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando, which left 50 Americans dead and 53 wounded, President Obama decided to take unilateral action on gun control by signing Executive Order 13691. The new law bans all sales of assault weapons and places a mandatory 30 day waiting period on all firearm sales, regardless of whether the transaction takes place at a gun dealership or gun show. The requirement also extends to private sales and requires all private firearm sellers to broker the sale through a federally licensed gun dealer. The order requires prospective gun buyers to undergo a psychological evaluation. Individuals who have been committed involuntarily to a mental health institution at any time; those who have been voluntarily committed with the past 5 years; anyone with a domestic violence restraining order, regardless of criminal history; and anyone who has been placed on the no-fly list or terrorist watch list at any time within the past 10 years will not be allowed to purchase or possess firearms.
President Obama was unapologetic in his speech regarding the Executive Order.
That is false.
The is not the first time many have been fooled by this trolling. In April the same fake “news” site claimed the NBA had canceled the 2017 All-Stars Game in North Carolina over HB2. That fake story even fooled a major newspaper, which was forced to apologize after it blindly accepted the story as true.
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