Mayor Vitali Klitschko will investigate the site of a missile attack in the Shebchenkiwsky district in Kieu, Ukraine, on April 29, 2022.
John Moore | Getty Images
The mayor of Kieu, the capital of Ukraine, warned on Saturday that he was communicating with other officials, including three European mayors who believed that the scammer was impersonating him and making a video call with real Vitali Klitschko. did.
“Several mayors of Europe have been contacted by a fake mayor of Kyiv who is saying ridiculous things,” Klitschko told the German daily Bilt. “This is the energy of crime. We need to urgently investigate who is behind it.”
Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffy tweeted on Friday night that he hung up with the reputed Mayor of Kieu after his comments and questions questioned her. “The process of conversation and setting the topic” warned Giffy, her office said without elaboration.
The office has released a large-screen photo of both the mayor of the German capital and the fake Klitschko. Initially, he said, “There was no evidence that the video conference wasn’t done with a real person. At all looks, it’s a deepfake.”
Police were investigating the case, Giffy’s office said.
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martinez Almeida also interrupted a video call with someone claiming to be Klitschko on Friday. The mayor of the Spanish capital filed a complaint with the police, suspecting he was not talking to Kieu’s partner.
The mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, did not end the call with the fraudster earlier this week because he was unaware of the suspicious behavior, the Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported.
“This is certainly annoying on certain occasions, as we weren’t able to discuss tricky topics in the conversation, but it’s not a big deal,” Ludwig said.
It was not clear who was behind the phone or what measures were used to make the mayor think he was communicating with Klitschko.
The mayor of Berlin said on Saturday that meeting a scammer meant “in the future we must be more scrutinized and more suspicious.”
She called the use of fake Klitschko a “means of modern warfare” and referred to Russia’s four-month war against Ukraine.
The actual mayor of Kieu also linked to the Russian war in Ukraine.
“Friends! The enemy hasn’t given up and is waging war in every way, especially disinformation, damaging the credibility of Ukrainian politicians,” Klitschko said in a post on the telegram messaging app. “Don’t help Ukraine to quarrel with European partners.”
In his remarks to Bilt, he warned other European officials to be careful if contacted by anyone claiming to represent his office. “Be careful how I arrange reservations in the future. Official conversations will only take place through official channels,” he said.
