AFP Fact Check
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Bill Gates, bogeyman of virus conspiracy theorists

Published on Tuesday 19 May 2020 at 15:49
False claims targeting billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates are gaining traction online since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, with experts warning they could hamper efforts to curb the virus.
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These photos have circulated online since at least March 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic

Published on Tuesday 7 April 2020 at 04:35
Two photos showing notes scattered on a street have been shared hundreds of times on Facebook and YouTube alongside a claim they were taken in Italy during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The posts claim Italians have thrown money out of their homes in a symbolic gesture to highlight that money is futile during the pandemic. The claim is false; the photos have circulated online since at least March 2019 in reports about two separate incidents in Venezuela.
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Photo of ‘COVID-19’ rail tanker is not genuine

Published on Wednesday 25 March 2020 at 20:36
A Facebook post shared tens of thousands of times purportedly shows a rail freight tanker with “COVID-19” stamped on one side. The image has circulated globally but it is false, the tanker operating company said. And Railinc, a corporation that manages an industry-wide database, said there is no such mark as “COVID.”
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