REGIONAL— Lake Vermilion is the site of yet another false, nature-related Facebook post that purports a strange phenomenon left a radio-collared wolf dead at the bottom of the lake. The fictitious story, posted last Friday, Feb. 20 by a Uhgv622, cites a UMD wildlife biologist named Dr. Sarah Kline, who several online searches confirmed does not exist.
As is common with such stories, this one had supernatural overtones along with specific details to build credibility, such as a claim that divers from the St. Louis County Rescue Squad recovered the wolf’s body from under the ice.
Though false, the sensationalistic nature of the post generated lots of traffic on Facebook, with several hundred comments and shares over the first couple days that the post went live. Many of the comments suggested readers recognized the post as false, or likely so, but their engagement with the post, whether critical or not, is what the posters are seeking.
The story is one of a growing number of fictitious posts, mostly generated by individuals utilizing artificial intelligence. They often cite specific details in an attempt to enhance their credibility and build a following. This particular poster boasts 211,000 followers, which is enough to generate a significant amount of income from issuing these false posts. According to data maintained by Facebook, Uhgv622 is managed by two individuals in the U.S. and one in Pakistan.