An imitation New York Times article is making the rounds on social media, duping readers into believing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has backed Bernie Sanders’s Democratic presidential campaign ahead of Super Tuesday.
The fake report began circulating Monday with a URL similar to the publication’s real website, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
It features the title “Warren Endorses Sanders, Breaking with Colleagues” and mimics the newspaper’s typefaces and design.
The spoof clip includes bylines from two of the publication’s political reporters.
{mosads}“An article circulating on social media tonight that is made to resemble a New York Times story and says Elizabeth Warren endorsed Bernie Sanders is a fake and has no connection with the Times,” said Matthew Purdy, the publication’s deputy executive editor.
The New York Times reported that the fake article was seemingly created using Clone Zone, a website that allows users to mimic the layout of other recognizable pages. It also featured fake quotes from Warren, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and actress Lena Dunham.
As of late Monday evening, the imitation story had 50,000 shares, 15,000 of them on Facebook, the Times added.
The publication said it has asked that Clone Zone take down the dubious copycat article.
Warren has not endorsed a candidate during the Democratic presidential primary. The Massachusetts lawmaker’s blessing is highly coveted, given her popularity with progressive voters.