AAP FACTCHECK – Footage of looters ransacking a department store is being falsely linked to an earthquake that struck off the US West Coast.
The footage is unrelated and was originally filmed in August 2023.
The video is being shared on social media after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of northern California on December 5, 2024.
Coastal towns were evacuated after authorities issued a tsunami warning for 4.7 million residents of California and Oregon, but it was later cancelled.
“BREAKING NEWS: People have started looting their local retail stores after recent evacuations in California take place due to the Tsunami warnings.. #earthquake,” reads the caption of a December 6 Facebook post, shared alongside the footage.
The post included a watermarked logo of the gambling company Stake.
AAP FactCheck performed a reverse image search that confirmed the video pre-dated the earthquake and tsunami warning by more than a year.
The video, from August 12, 2023, shows masked robbers stealing from a Nordstrom store at a Westfield in Topanga, southern California.
Footage of the robbery was shared on Instagram and reported by local media outlets, including ABC7, The Los Angeles Times and KTLA 5.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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