Key Takeaways
- A webpage impersonating Dawn circulated a false report about an AI platform.
- The fake news claimed support from the government and leading Pakistani enterprises.
- Dawn has issued a warning to readers, advising them to be cautious.
A website posing as part of the Dawn Media Group has been circulating false reports, according to an investigation by Dawn itself. The fake webpage, accessible on Thursday, shared misleading information about a purported AI platform called BTC+700 Lurot, which it claimed was launched by business tycoon Arif Habib.
The website, operating from a URL not associated with Dawn.com’s web domain, falsely reported that the project was 'created within the framework' of Pakistan Digital 2030 vision and had government support. However, no such information could be found through a web search, raising immediate red flags.
Further analysis revealed several inconsistencies between the fake news story and Dawn's usual format. The text and headline did not conform to Dawn’s style or content standards, and the images used appeared to be AI-generated with illegible Urdu text and graphics that did not match official logos of Arif Habib Ltd.
The webpage also included an embedded form asking readers for their mobile phone numbers to sign up for a trading platform. This is contrary to Dawn's usual practice of not providing such forms in its stories or endorsing third-party services. Clicking on any tabs supposed to lead to other sections of the website merely redirected users back to this form.
Dawn has highlighted that the appearance of the comment section, including font and button placements, was also different from their official site. This further confirmed the impersonation attempt. Dawn advises its readers to be vigilant against such fake websites and to verify information through reliable sources.
This is not the first instance of a webpage impersonating Dawn. The media group has previously issued warnings about similar incidents. Readers are encouraged to check for inconsistencies, verify URLs, and report any suspicious activity to Dawn’s official channels.
