Tracking the Louvre Heist and Its Digital Aftermath

Amid the robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, a wave of posts and claims spread across social media about the theft, the perpetrators, and its aftermath.

While some posts were clearly satirical, comments on them showed that many users took them seriously. At the same time, other posts appeared to deliberately spread false or misleading information about the incident.

Misbar’s team reviewed and fact-checked some of the most prominent posts circulating about the Louvre robbery.

Russian Passport Found Outside the Louvre Museum

Hours after the Louvre robbery on October 19, a Russian account, @Alex_Oloyede2, shared a post claiming that a Russian passport had been found near the recently robbed museum in Paris, adding, “A deliberate act of war by Putin!!”

The post went viral, amassing over 7 million views, with thousands of users reacting, reposting, and quoting it. Several other accounts later amplified the claim.

In the comments, some users were asking whether the information was true or not, showing that the satire was not obvious to everyone.

However, the post was clearly satirical, as no credible media source reported that a Russian passport had been found anywhere near the Louvre Museum. 

The account that first shared the clainm, @Alex_Oloyede2, also indicated that the post was a joke by adding “/s” at the end, a common marker for satire, mocking what they perceived as Europe’s habit of blaming Russia for any international incident.

Stolen Jewelry for Sale on a Russian Site

A Ukrainian account posted a claim that the jewels stolen from the Louvre had been listed for sale on a Russian website.

The post joked that this is just another example of looting, referencing old stereotypes of Russian soldiers “liberating” household items like washing machines during conflicts.

The claim was amplified by several social media accounts, with the original poster, @AngelShalagania, explaining that her post was based on a report from prominent Russian Telegram channels to give it credibility.

However, the Telegram channel that Angelica cited later clarified that the ad had been blocked and removed from the website where it was originally posted, explaining that it was a prank.

Avito, the platform where the satirical ad appeared, clarified in a statement that there are over 6,000 listings containing the word Louvre.

They noted that blocking all of them following news of the museum theft would be unusual, and that critical thinkers would recognize the post as a prank. Ultimately, the ad was removed, and the users responsible for the prank were blocked.

France Seeks Israeli Assistance in Recovering Stolen Louvre Jewelry

In another claim, some accounts alleged that the Louvre had reached out to an Israeli intelligence firm for assistance in recovering the stolen jewelry.

Users claimed that the Israeli firm CGI Group, owned by former Shin Bet head Yaakov Peri, had been enlisted to help identify those responsible for Sunday’s daring jewelry heist at the Louvre in Paris. 

Some even added that the Israeli company had already begun providing information to French authorities regarding the robbery.

Misbar's team investigated this claim and found that it first emerged following an AFP report stating that a private Israeli intelligence firm had been asked by France’s Louvre Museum to help locate artifacts stolen in the robbery.

However, the Louvre Museum’s management denied having contacted a private Israeli intelligence firm to investigate the heist, according to the same agency.

Despite this, some users continued to spread the claim, ignoring the museum’s denial.

Video Shows Moment of the Heist at the Louvre

AI-generated videos played a significant role in the coverage of the Louvre robbery. Shortly after the incident, a video circulated on social media claiming to show the moment of the heist at the museum.

The clip was also shared by several news outlets, further amplifying its reach.

Misbar's team investigated the footage and found that it was AI-generated. It was likely first posted by the Instagram account @websiren, where it garnered over 9 million views and spread widely across social media.

Even though the account did not indicate that the video was AI-generated, several glitches in the footage revealed its artificial nature.

One noticeable glitch was the hand holding the phone, allegedly showing the crime scene, which appeared to have only four fingers, an obviously unnatural detail.

In addition, the man's head in the background appears to disappear at one point, the display glass is shadowed rather than broken, and the supposed shards on the floor look unnatural.

The movements of the three men are clearly unnatural and robotic, and the man in the background suddenly appears to move toward the window as if he were in a simulation game.

Moreover, the jewelry cases in the video appear different from those shown in authentic footage of the Louvre Museum.

The video was most likely created using Sora AI, and the Websiren watermark overlaying the footage appears to have been added to cover the Sora AI watermark, which can still be seen in one of the TikTok posts where the video originally appeared.

It is worth noting that the AI-generated video was inspired by a real video documenting the heist, which was secretly filmed by someone present at the museum at the time and had been circulated by reliable media outlets.

How $120M Worth of Jewels Were Stolen From the Louvre

On Sunday, October 19, thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris, the world’s most visited museum, in broad daylight, escaping on scooters with eight extremely valuable pieces of jewelry.

The gang reportedly arrived at 09:30 local time, shortly after the museum opened to visitors.

Four suspects used a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the Gallery of Apollo via a balcony near the River Seine. Photos from the scene showed a ladder leading up to a first-floor window. 

French police officers stand next to a furniture elevator used by robbers to enter the Louvre Museum in Paris on October 19. Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP 

Two of the thieves gained entry by cutting through the window. They then threatened the guards, who evacuated the premises, and broke the glass of two display cases containing the jewels.

A preliminary report revealed that one in three rooms in the targeted area lacked CCTV cameras, according to French media. 

French police stated that the thieves were inside for only four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38.

Around 60 investigators are working on the case and prosecutors said their theory is that the robbers were under orders for a criminal organisation.

Louvre Chief Blames CCTV Gaps

The Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, told a Senate committee on October 22nd: “Despite our efforts, despite our hard work every day, we were defeated.” 

She added, “We did not detect the thieves’ arrival early enough,” attributing the failure to insufficient cameras monitoring the museum’s perimeter. 

Des Cars explained that the exterior security cameras do not provide full coverage of the Louvre’s facade, and the window through which the thieves broke in was not monitored by CCTV.

She also noted that she had repeatedly warned about the dire state of security at the centuries-old building. “The warnings I had been sounding came horribly true last Sunday,” she said. 

Des Cars pledged to establish no-parking zones around the museum, upgrade the CCTV network, and request that the Interior Ministry set up a police station inside the Louvre.

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