Fake Evacuation Flight Scam Amid War Fears

An interview article about a 'self-organized Dubai evacuation flight' published on March 5 by De Telegraaf, the Netherlands' largest daily newspaper, has been revealed as a scam attempt using AI-generated images. Bellingcat, a digital investigation specialist outlet, announced on the 12th that the photo of a person named Tamara Harema featured in the article was AI-generated, and the flight she mentioned did not actually exist.

The problematic article appeared shortly after Iran launched missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region in retaliation for US-Israeli airstrikes. At the time, thousands of Dutch citizens were attempting to escape the Middle East region, and the government's official repatriation flights could not meet the demand.

According to the article, Harema claimed her reservations with Emirates had been canceled five times, and the repatriation flight prepared by the Dutch government had also failed to take off. She stated, "Our group arranged buses and directly chartered an Airbus A321," adding that "the first plane is already full, so we're preparing a second flight." Seats were priced at €1,600 (approximately 2.5 million won) per person.

Traces of AI-Generated Images

Bellingcat's investigation team discovered several suspicious points in Harema's photo. The background showed a Dubai hotel room with a view of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

The investigation team analyzed the angle and floor-by-floor structure of the Burj Khalifa visible through the window, confirming that the photo should have been taken from a room facing northwest. However, when compared with actual building images, the position of the upper-floor mechanical rooms differed, and the fountain at the building's base had completely disappeared.

More conclusively, no real person with Harema's name and face could be found. No trace of this person was discovered in social media, public databases, or Dutch public records.

Non-existent Flight

Bellingcat verified through flight tracking data whether the Airbus A321 charter flight mentioned by Harema actually took off. The results were clear. No A321 charter flight records from Dubai to the Netherlands existed during that period.

No matching flights could be found even in tracking systems that include all flight data—commercial flights, charter flights, and cargo planes. This strongly suggests that Harema's claims were false from the beginning.

Media Outlet's Delayed Response

De Telegraaf quietly removed Harema's photo on March 9, four days after publishing the article. However, the interview content remained, with no separate correction report or explanation provided.

The Dutch Foreign Minister was questioned about this issue in a television interview shortly after the article appeared. He responded that the government was continuously working on citizen repatriation, but at the time, the article's authenticity had not been verified.

New Type of Scam Targeting Crisis Situations

This incident demonstrates how generative AI technology can be exploited in emergency situations. During crises like war or natural disasters, people tend to accept information less critically than usual and have a strong tendency to seek quick solutions.

Scammers exploit this psychology by creating fake persons generated by AI and plausible stories. Particularly when articles appear in major media outlets, credibility increases, potentially leading to more victims.

Such types of scams are likely to become more sophisticated in the future. As AI image generation technology advances, it is reaching levels that are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. Media outlets must strengthen their source verification procedures, and readers must judge information emerging from crisis situations more carefully.

Particular caution is needed for proposals involving large financial transactions or solutions that bypass official channels. As in this case, offering 'self-organized' flights instead of government official repatriation flights while demanding high prices is a typical scam tactic.