Fact check: Does 'Argentina is Doing it' video hack phones in 10 seconds?

Origin

In the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, WhatsApp Messenger along with various other social media portals became a hub for notorious internet users too spread fake messages. The source of these fake messages is often not traced but claims made in them get disregarded quickly as they do not hold any truth. Now, one such message consisting of blatantly fabricated claims has come forward. Check it out below -

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The message going viral on WhatsApp recently claims that a video named 'Argentina is doing it' is doing rounds on the platform. The video supposedly represents he the COVID-19 curve is flattening in Argentina but is affirmed to be a virus that can hack any device in 10 seconds and cannot be stopped in any way. The message later tries to legitimize its claims by stating that an American news portal has also confirmed the same. 

In recent years, a number of similarly worded viral messages claiming that a certain video will hack users' devices have done the rounds on the internet. These messages have only appeared to be hoaxes as they do not back their claims any concrete source. Various fact-checking portals have reached out to the American news outlet to know whether they have backed the claims made by the message seen above. The news portal has confirmed that none of their platforms has backed these claims. 

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Additionally, none of the users who received the message has actually received a link for the same. A quick search on Google for 'Argentina is doing it' does not result to show a particular video by that title either. Given that there is no evidence affirming the claims made by the viral 'Argentina is doing it' message - the WhatsApp forward is rated false. 

Google Trends Analysis

As the fake message of 'Argentina is doing it' started doing rounds on the internet, a number of people took to Google and searched to know whether it was true or false. This resulted in a surge for search results like 'Argentina is doing it hack' and 'Argentia is doing it Whatsapp'. Check out Google Trends analysis below - 

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