A grotesque and anti-Semitic rumor went viral at the end of March on X.com, accusing the airline Lufthansa of offering free upgrades to Israeli passengers “as a condolence for the Holocaust.” An entirely false assertion, based on a falsified letter, explains a verification investigation published by TF1/LCI.
At the origin of this misinformation: an English-speaking Internet user, “Tony”, or @0xRacist, who claims to have obtained a free upgrade to business class by simulating a connection from Israel via a VPN. In support of his remarks: a screenshot of an alleged email from the company, evoking a “commercial gesture” linked to the memory of the Shoah.
But this document is obviously a fake. When contacted, Lufthansa formally denied it, indicating that it was “not a message sent by Lufthansa, but a forgery and false information”, reported the Les Vériteurs section of TF1/LCI.
Several elements make it possible to formally demonstrate an obvious deception: contrary to the company’s real communications, the falsified message does not mention the customer’s full name and does not include the usual references such as the flight number.
Beyond the disinformation it disseminates, the publication sparked a wave of hateful reactions online. Some comments include anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories, targeting both Jews and Germany.
The post at the origin of this false information now has more than 13 million views. It was not deleted, but a context note was added, specifying that Lufthansa responded to the anti-Semitic post by clarifying that it was false information.
