A chain message warning users about a circulating video supposedly called “Dance of the Hillary,” allegedly a cyber attack from Pakistan, has reached netizens in the Philippines. This is a recycled hoax that has been going around as early as 2015.
Since last May 14, Filipino Facebook (FB) users have been sharing a text advising users about the cyberattack disguised as a video. A reader also sent a copy of the text to the VERA Files’ Messenger Misinformation Tipline for verification.
The circulating message read:
“Please inform all contacts from your list not to open a video called the ‘Dance of the Hillary’. It is a cyber attack from Pakistan. Beware it is very dangerous. They announced it today on BBC radio. Fwd this msg to as many as you can!”
Other posts bore additional details that the file, spread through messaging platforms, supposedly contains malware that can steal bank details, passwords and other personal information. Some users even attributed the warning to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Cyber Command.
This is a hoax that dates back a decade. There is no such announcement from the BBC and the AFP did not release such an advisory either.
An earlier version of the hoax circulated 10 years ago and was called “Dance of the Pope.” Fact-checking organization Snopes and other websites, dedicated to online hoaxes, have published articles on the supposed virus that can “format mobile phones.”
In 2017, the hoax resurfaced as “Dance of the Hillary” when the WannaCry ransomware attack hit several countries, including India. While the attack was legitimate, the “Dance of the Hillary” messages that circulated at the same time were not. The hoax came along with the claim that automated teller machines (ATMs) in India would be shut down for a few days. This was also found to be false.
The same “Dance of the Hillary” hoax again appeared in 2024, this time, supposedly targeting ATMs and mobile users in Pakistan.
It resurfaced this year amid the conflict between India and Pakistan. Media organizations and India’s Press Information Bureau again debunked the recycled claim that has no basis.
It reached Filipino users more than a week after India launched missile strikes in Pakistan as a response to an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April.
VERA Files has debunked other chain messages that were found to be just recycled hoaxes.
Posts from 17 Filipino FB users collectively garnered 216 engagements.
