Viral ‘Vaccine Bandits’ TikTok warning is faux — however individuals fell for it

Apparently, the main symptom of an anti-Vaxxer is not a sense of humor.

In case you thought the anti-vaccine hysteria wasn’t on the rise, a TikTok comic posted a video parody alleging that Californians are being injected with a coronavirus vaccine against their will – and dozens of people are being injected apparently believed it.

The Corona clip currently has more than 6 million views in the app.

“I never try to claim my videos as facts,” US filmmaker Gray Fagan – who goes @graysworld on TikTok – told the Daily Dot about the “deliberately ridiculous” clip.

In the parody uploaded on Tuesday, Fagan features an alleged news article with the inflammatory headline “‘Vaccine Bandits’ Take over Los Angeles Streets”. The footage later becomes an alleged surveillance video of a man in black forcing a woman to take a COVID-19 jab in broad daylight.

Alleged surveillance footage shows a man in black shooting an unsuspecting woman.Alleged surveillance footage shows a man in black shooting an unsuspecting woman.Tick ​​tock

“So apparently these guys walk up to you on the street and ask if you have been vaccinated – and if you hesitate at all, they’ll inject you with a vaccine right away,” says the videographer, trying to keep his face straight. “And then they throw you a vaccination card after the injection that says ‘Hollywood Boulevard’ or wherever you were injected, and they even leave it blank for you to put in your name.”

The fake Doomsayer – whose TikTok profile is “Welcome to the ~ scripted ~ chaos” – closes the BS-A by insisting that the “vaccine bandits” even leave letters on the unwilling shot recipients, telling them that they will find them will be two weeks later when it is time for her follow-up examination.

“Why is nobody else talking about it?” Fagan asks, before inquiring if commentators are aware of this “next level” phenomenon.

The TikTok troll has now confirmed that the unusual video is fake.

“Every single video is purposely designed to look and feel real as it gets more and more fancy, which is the joke in it,” explains Fagan.

He adds, “If the viewer doesn’t do another inspection from there, it’s up to them.”

And when users click the “Vaccine Bandits” article that appears on Fagan’s TikTok links page, they are redirected to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video on YouTube – also known as “Rickroll”.

The false doomsayer declared that the The fake Doomsayer explained that the “Vaccine Bandits” even leave letters on the unwilling shot recipients, telling them that they will find them when it is time for their second vaccination. Tick ​​tock

Despite Fagan’s admission – not to mention the apparently ridiculous clip – dozens of internet conspirators swallowed the not-so-deeply forged warning hook, leash, and plumb line.

“Do people really think that’s okay?” Said one gullible commentator. “Sooooo illegal.”

“I’m provaccine, but that’s really terrifying. Violent and hurtful. ”Wrote another in a comment with more than 40,000 likes.

One believer in bandits called the drive-by shots “dangerous” because patients may be allergic to drugs or fear needles.

“It’s funny and so scary at the same time,” gasped a Bozo. “I hope it’s actually the vaccine and not something else.”

The hysteria then metastasized to Twitter, with one suggestible user writing that “there appears to be a group called ‘vaccine gangs’ in LA and they go around asking people if they are vaccinated and if they say no they vaccinate them right away” their will and also throw a card at them, say even up to two weeks. “

Good morning, apparently there is a group in LA called “VACCINE BANDITS” and they go around asking people if they are vaccinated and if they say no they vaccinate them against their will on the spot and throw them a card too to say 😂 I’ll see you in two weeks

– Frosty 💭 (@TacticalFrosty) August 10, 2021

The clip might get a good chuckle in viewers. Their gullibility may also be worrying, however, as anti-vaccination views – apparently once on par with flat-earthers and Bigfoot believers – have become more mainstream during the coronavirus pandemic.

In recent months, the COVID rush has been denounced by celebrities from rock star Eric Clapton to late shock jock Dick Farrel, who only changed his mind after being hospitalized with the illness he later died of.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tried just last week to pass a law prohibiting cruise lines – which were major breeding grounds for coronavirus contagion at the start of the pandemic – from requiring passengers to provide proof of vaccination. However, it was overridden by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who granted the cruise line’s motion for an injunction.

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