The hoax had two different names, with two different hashtags (#EbolaInAtlanta and #shockingmurderinatlanta), but the intent was the same.

"The attention to detail was remarkable, suggesting a tremendous amount of effort," wrote the Times' Adrian Chen. A recent Beyoncé single played in the background of a fake video, which also included a shot of a vehicle with the Hartsfield-Jackson logo.

Its cyber tactics routinely targeted the Russian government's domestic and foreign "enemies," as well as political dissidents, Chen wrote.

And one day last winter, it targeted Atlanta.

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Scottie Scheffler lines up putt on second green during first round of the Masters golf tournament, at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

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Protestors demonstrate against the war in Gaza and the detention of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil at Emory University in Atlanta on March 20, 2025. The 30-year-old legal U.S. resident was detained by federal immigration agents in March. An Atlanta-based law firm has filed a lawsuit against the federal government arguing it illegally terminated the immigration records of five international students and two alumni from Georgia colleges, including one from Emory University. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

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