False: Arrested man’s face swapped with MIRROR star Keung To in manipulated image
An image of a man in a pink shirt being handcuffed by police outside a Circle K store in Tin Wan on March 10 has gone viral on Hong Kong social media platforms.
The photo, widely circulated on Facebook (here, here, and here), Threads (here and here), and LIHKG, has sparked rumors that the individual looks a lot like Keung To, a popular Hong Kong singer and member of the boy band MIRROR who has been the talk of the town.
One post on Threads with over 7,000 likes stated, “The guy from the Tin Wan incident looks so much like Keung To!”
These posts have collectively gained over 30,000 likes and 1,800 shares overnight. While many users recognized the image as manipulated, others expressed confusion.
One comment read, “Is this picture real or fake? The resemblance is uncanny.” Some mockery comments even speculated that Keung To might be emotionally unstable or taking illegal substances.
Annie Lab can confirm that the viral image is digitally altered and has no connection to Keung To. The original photo (archived here) was published by Hong Kong media outlet Wen Wei Po on March 10 and depicts a different man being restrained by police officers.
A side-by-side comparison reveals that the manipulated image swaps the original face for one resembling Keung To. In the news photo, the man has thick eyebrows and facial hair, which were not present in the edited version.
According to local media, the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on March 10 when a man began throwing items out of the convenience store in Tin Wan. A female staff member called the police after goods were scattered across the pavement.
Police arrived at the scene, restrained the man who was still throwing objects, and arrested him on suspicion of “criminal damage.” He was later taken to Queen Mary Hospital for examination, reports said.
