There are no sharks in New Jersey: 6 fake #HurricaneSandy pics floating on social media (PHOTOS)

by Hauwa Gambo

Well, even as the frightful Hurricane Sandy ravages the US East Coast, it’s interesting to see that the Nigerian problem of fake crisis photos is, in fact, a global one.

See below 7 fake Hurricane Sandy photos that have been flying around social media over the past two days – even the venerable Washington Post fell victim to the first – as compiled by Mashable.

1. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Soldiers weather hurricane conditions at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The moving photo purporting to show soldiers standing guard at the Arlington National Cemetery monument during Hurricane Sandy quickly spread on the social web. But the Old Guard pointed out that the photo was actually a shot taken in September.

2. Statue of Liberty Waves
Is Lady Liberty about to float away?

Not exactly — the image is a wallpaper from the film The Day After Tomorrow.

3. Clouds Over Manhattan
Sinister clouds could swallow up the Empire State Building.

Sort of true — only it happened more than a year ago. The original appeared on the Wall Street Journal in 2011.

4. Clouds Over Lady Liberty
The Statue of Liberty once again looks to be in danger.

The striking image is a Photoshop job, combining a photo of the New York harbor with a 2004 shot taken by photographer Mike Hollingshead.

5. Storm Over George Washington Bridge
Ominous clouds rolling in over the George Washington Bridge look hurricane-level frightening.

Scary, but actually a Getty stock photo from 2009.

6. Flooded McDonald’s
Virginia Beach could face a McNugget shortage.

Don’t worry — Ronald McDonald is safe. The above photo is from a 2009 art installation.

7. Shark Swims Through Streets of New Jersey
As if flooding weren’t scary enough, according to Twitter, you also have to worry about sharks.

Well, not so much. The rogue shark photo seems to pop up every time a major weather event happens, including in 2011 during Hurricane Irene.

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