The edited photo-video of Mustafiz promotes betting sites
A circulating video on Facebook features Mustafizur Rahman, a player of the Bangladesh national cricket team, purportedly endorsing a betting site. The video is shared as a reel from a Facebook page. However, verification by Dismislab has revealed that the video was ingeniously fabricated through the adept manipulation of images and footage sourced from Mustafizur’s authentic Facebook and Instagram profiles.
Mustafiz is seen using his phone while perched on a chair in the edited video. Additionally, a video about betting is floating on the phone. “Mustafir Rahman:-I recommend to everyone!” is written at the top of the Facebook reel. Additionally, “Victory is sure” is written in the lower portion. Throughout the entire video, the Elonbet app’s logo is displayed. A photo of Mustafiz was added at the conclusion of the video, along with the words “Download and play.” Notably, the page was created in September of the previous year.
The footage of Mustafiz incorporated into this manipulated video was sourced from the cricketer’s Facebook page, originally uploaded in August 2021. The accompanying caption indicates, during the period of quarantine that time, the player watching the highlights of his bowling performance while enjoying a cup of coffee. He was showing the same to the audience. However, this specific segment of the video has been altered, with the insertion of content promoting the betting site.
The photo of Mustafiz used at the end of the reel – is taken from his Instagram profile. It was posted in October 2022. In the original picture, A smartphone is seen in front of the cricketer and nothing is visible on its screen. However, in the manipulated video, footage of a betting site has been added through editing.
Although Dismislab could not find an app for the betting site Elonbet on the Google Play Store. However, the app has been found on multiple websites by searching online.
This is not the first time that illegal betting websites have been promoted with edited videos. Earlier in March last year, a betting site was also promoted through a video featuring the logo of private TV, Channel 24. The video was posted by a Facebook page called ‘LoveYouForever.’ Dismislab published a fact-check report on this at the time.
