A misleading video has surfaced on social media, featuring a man claiming to sell necklaces to fund his granddaughter's heart treatment, purportedly after she lost her parents in an accident. The video, which has been circulating since February 7, appears as a paid advertisement on platforms controlled by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. Viewers are presented with an emotional narrative in Portuguese, detailing the man's struggles as he raised his granddaughter alone since 2017, accompanied by manipulated images crafted by AI to enhance the story's emotional appeal.

The content of the video showcases the elderly man speaking directly to the camera, sharing his plight of having to create handmade necklaces at night on his kitchen table. This narrative, designed to elicit sympathy and encourage viewers to purchase the necklaces, is entirely fabricated, leaving many to question the morality of using such emotional tactics to mislead the public. The video's elements were strategically created to provoke a strong emotional response, ensuring its viral spread across social media.

G1, a Brazilian news outlet, has labeled this video as a 'fake' and highlights the growing trend of misinformation online, particularly concerning emotionally charged topics such as health and family tragedies. Such scams not only exploit the goodwill of individuals but also contribute to the overall distrust in online content, emphasizing the importance of media literacy in navigating social media platforms.