A viral image shared on Threads purports to show a fake identification card used by Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

 

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Verdict: False

A content detection scan using the website “TrueMedia.org” indicates the image shows “substantial signs of manipulation” and “detects signatures of generative artificial intelligence tools. The identification card is not legitimate but originally stems from the 2008 film “Superbad.”

Fact Check:

Mangione was not insured by UnitedHealthcare, according to CNN. Although Mangione was not insured by the company, he did name them in his manifesto, the outlet reported.

The Threads image, which has received over 1,000 likes as of writing, purports to show a fake identification card used by Mangione.

“Photo of fake ID found on Luigi Mangione during arrest,” the image’s caption reads. The purported identification card lists a Hawaii address and includes the name “McLOVIN.”

The claim is false. A content detection scan using the website “TrueMedia.org” indicates the image shows “substantial signs of manipulation” and “detects signatures of generative artificial intelligence tools.” Likewise, the results of the same scan state the identification card is not legitimate but originally stems from the 2008 film “Superbad.” (RELATED: Can Joe Biden Pardon Luigi Mangione?)

A keyword search using the terms “Superbad” and “identification card” led Check Your Fact to an eBay listing for the same novelty identification card. In addition, a Dec. 9 article from ABC News includes a photo of a fake identification card Mangione allegedly used. The identification card lists a Maplewood, New Jersey address along with the name “Mark Rosario.”

Furthermore, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Dec. 13, USA Today debunked the claim, reporting the image of the identification card had been “doctored.”

Mangione was recently arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the shooting that took Thompson’s life on Dec. 4 in New York.