Police have confirmed that creepy images of a life-size "Cat in the Hat" figure allegedly terrorising neighbourhoods are not real, but artificially generated by an unknown prankster.
The images, which first emerged in Limerick, Ireland, showed a cat-like man wandering streets, standing in driveways, and causing alarm among locals and online. Gardaí officials said the pictures were not genuine, according to the Daily Star.
Hoax spread across Ireland
The images initially appeared on Facebook, although at the time they were rumoured to have originated on Snapchat. They were accompanied by false reports that police were investigating the creepy real-life cartoon.
The hoax was not limited to Limerick. Fake images of the black and white feline also emerged in Glanmire, Cork; Cahir, Tipperary; Curracloe, Wexford; and Broadford Park in Dublin, adding to the online hysteria.
Police statement
One Irish police department addressed the issue directly. A spokesperson for Wexford Garda said: "In an unusual turn of events we are hearing a lot about an illusive Dr Seuss character doing the rounds online, apparently causing havoc in neighbourhoods and towns across the country."
"Fortunately, we can rule out the issue, which is essentially an AI prompt that places the character into images/videos of familiar places. To be clear, the Cat in the Hat was not in your driveway while you were out and he is not currently hiding out in Curracloe."
Previous AI pranks
This is not the first time police have issued warnings about fake AI trends. Last year, UK cops became involved after a viral prank involving a fake "AI homeless man" led to police calls from people fooled by the hoax.
Dorset Police revealed they had received a call from one "extremely concerned parent" who was fooled by their daughter into thinking there was a man in their family home while she was alone. Officers discovered the whole thing was an AI prank.
A spokesperson for the force said: "If you receive a message and pictures similar to the above antics from friends or family, please attempt to check it isn't a prank before dialling 999."
