Fake AfD TikTok account exposed after whale rescue donation scam
A fake TikTok account posing as the Wuppertal branch of the AfD party has been exposed after sharing fraudulent content. The imposter profile, which amassed over 30,000 followers, posted misleading appeals—including a bogus whale rescue fundraiser—before being taken down. The account, named AfD Wuppertal • District Association, used the party’s logo and a German flag emoji to appear legitimate. Some of its posts, copied from real AfD accounts, received hundreds of thousands of views. One video falsely urged donations for a stranded whale named 'Timmy', directing users to a fraudulent bank transfer.
Frank Schnaack, the official spokesperson for the Wuppertal AfD district association, confirmed the account was fake. He stated that the real association had filed a police report. The Wuppertal police later verified receiving the complaint. The imposter profile also shared a fake fundraising appeal under the name of a veterinarian. After an investigation by *CORRECTIV.Faktencheck*, the account was removed from TikTok. Notably, the official Wuppertal AfD website never listed this TikTok profile as an authorised channel.
The fake account has been deleted, but its posts had already reached a wide audience. Police are now investigating the fraudulent activity linked to the imposter profile. The real AfD Wuppertal branch has distanced itself from the scam and warned supporters about similar deceptive accounts.
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