00:00Did French border guards mock influencers fleeing Dubai?
00:07Year-long sunshine, beaches and some of the lowest tax and crime rates in the world.
00:12That's how the Gulf states market themselves to the West, drawing expats and influencers from Europe and beyond.
00:19But the recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran have prompted Tehran to strike the likes of Qatar, Bahrain and
00:24the UAE,
00:25targeting US bases on their soil, oil reserves and civilian infrastructure.
00:30The strike shocked many who had moved to the Gulf states to benefit from their high levels of safety,
00:35which are touted as a pull factor by their respective governments.
00:39This includes many European influencers who play a large role in promoting life in places like Dubai,
00:45by emphasising their luxury and quality of life.
00:48A considerable number of influencers have posted that they're safe in the UAE despite Iran's strikes,
00:54but others have said the opposite.
00:56We are French, France protect us!
01:01Other social media users have pointed to the irony of European influencers
01:06asking to be rescued by their home countries while living abroad and not paying taxes,
01:10which contribute to such rescue missions.
01:13It's prompted a number of conflicting claims online, for example in this image,
01:17French border guards can be seen in an arrival hall holding a sign which reads,
01:22to all the influencers and other people in tax havens such as Dubai,
01:26the tax authorities wish you a smooth return to France.
01:29But is the image real?
01:31Well, their uniforms don't appear to match the real ones worn by border guards,
01:35and they also each have different logos.
01:37AI detection firm Truthscan told us that a string of other elements suggest the image is fake,
01:43including the French flag, which is in reality an emoji.
01:47Truthscan also looked at the signage and graphics
01:49in all of the major French airports which fly to Dubai,
01:52finding that the signage in the image did not match real signs.
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