The Civil Police (PJ) used social media to deny a false story published by influencer Otan Martins, who has 216 thousand followers on Instagram. The narrative was created after an interaction at the PJ headquarters, on Rua Gomes Freire, in Lisbon, and quickly went viral on social media.
Otan Martins published a video where he claimed to have paid a fine at the PJ. The footage shows him entering the building, followed by an edited scene in which he tears up and chews a 20 euro note, claiming that this is how he resolved the fine.
The PJ clarified that the story is completely invented. The influencer actually entered the building, but was quickly removed by security guards and had no interaction related to fines or payments.
The PJ highlighted the seriousness of the situation, warning of the dangers of false content, especially when shared by figures with great reach on social media. These videos can lead to misinformation, tarnish the reputation of public institutions and cause confusion among the public.
@danidff4 @Otan Martins #palops🇦🇴🇲🇿🇸🇹🇨🇻🇬🇼 #portugal🇵🇹 #y #tfd @TFD ♬ som original – Dn🤴🏾👑
