A social media post viewed over three million times claimed a grandmother in the Makerfield constituency had brown liquid put through her letterbox by canvassers. The X post included two images of a red door with brown liquid dripping from the letterbox and splashed on the floor and walls.
Evaluation
Several inconsistencies in the photos suggest they may be AI altered or generated. The images also appear to replicate similar photos shared on Facebook in February, with nearly identical drip patterns.
Key Findings
- The first image shows a red door from inside the home, with two window panels and panelling. Brown liquid drips from the letterbox into a puddle on the floor, splashed on walls and a wooden table.
- The second image is a close-up of the door bottom and liquid on the floor.
- Abnormalities include a door lock chain that does not match the thumb turn lock, though a new door installation could explain this.
- Door hinges appear unusual, with leaves visible on the frame and knuckles set away from the door, possibly indicating offset hinges.
Comparison with Older Post
Both images bear striking similarities to a February Facebook post during a by-election in Gorton and Denton. That post claimed canvassers threw coffee through a letterbox of a mother who told them to go packing. It featured a blue door with brown liquid dripping from the letterbox and splashed on the floor and wall.
Similarities
- Both doors are the same style: two glass windows at the top and panelling at the bottom.
- The red door handle is on the left, while the blue door handle is on the right. When mirrored, the liquid dripping from the letterbox appears nearly identical.
- Small white dots appear in the same place on both doors.
Differences
- Splash patterns differ between the two sets of images.
- The blue door images also contain anomalies, such as hinges placed away from the door, fuzziness near the lock, and a streak of liquid appearing out of nowhere.
- An odd reflection of liquid appears in the floor of the second blue door image.
Detection Tools
Searches with Google and OpenAI detection tools did not indicate that either image was created by their models, but they could have been made or altered by other generators.
Links to archived posts and images are provided for reference.
