Whether You're BP Or A Petty Criminal, Photoshopping Yourself To Look Sympathetic Probably Isn't Wise

from the just-a-tip dept

Tue, Jul 20th 2010 2:43pm — Mike Masnick

Slashdot pointed us to this fun story about a scam artist who tried to get leniency from a judge by showing him photos of charity work he had done. The only problem? He Photoshopped himself into the photos and also forged letters from those charitable organizations. Not surprisingly, the judge didn't take too kindly to it, and gave him 285 months in prison -- 50 more than the sentencing guidelines allow -- because of the attempt to defraud the court.

Of course, I was thinking of doing a post on just that, when Karl Bode pointed me to the news that BP has also been caught messing around with Photoshopped images. Apparently, the images that BP has released of its oil spill "command center" are really, really, poorly Photoshopped. After being called on it, BP denied it, then sorta admitted it, but won't explain the details. Then, to make matters worse, it got caught with another Photoshopped image.

So, whether you're a petty criminal, or a giant multi-billion dollar multi-national, perhaps you should layoff the Photoshop when trying to make yourself look sympathetic.

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Filed Under: fraud, images, photoshop
Companies: bp

18 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 2:52pm

Now if only BP could be sentenced to 285 months in prison...
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cc (profile), 20 Jul 2010 @ 2:55pm

Here's the original image:
http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAG ING/local_assets/images/HIVE_houston01.jpg

Makes you wonder why they even bothered.
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- Sarah Black (profile), 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:02pm
  
  Re:
  Look at the EXIF date - the DATE TAKEN on that image says, "3/6/2001 3:16PM"
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  - :Lobo Santo (profile), 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:09pm
    
    Re: Re: EXIF
    Yes it does... and the EXIF says it was created in Photoshop CS4.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:08pm

shrug looks like one of the monitors says 16 07 10, and if they cant do a simple photoshop with the big things, they certainly arent able to put the numbers in
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:12pm

What I can't understand is why their video feeds appear to be running in Excel...

Judging by the reflections and shadows that match the light coming off the bottom left of centre screen, that part at least is real.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:12pm

when did cs4 even come out? this year?
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- :Lobo Santo (profile), 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:23pm
  
  Re:
  CS4 came out October 15, 2008, CS5 came out this year.
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Richard Corsale, 20 Jul 2010 @ 3:21pm

Photoshop
I never knew Atari 2600 had Photoshop?
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Mischa, 20 Jul 2010 @ 4:14pm

The first picture definately has problems but the last one just looks like a poor job of trying to reduce the contrast between the projector screen and the people in front of it.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 4:25pm

I love the MST3K picture at the bottom of the linked article. A Classic!
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 4:49pm

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xQeOPE9ePU/TEXJFhjMElI/AAAAAAAAFDk/Susb7Y6PP9I/s1600/fake_GOM_simops_oper ations_top_kill_houston.jpg

Gotta love that pic. Look at the laptop in the front. Suuuuuure you're working :P
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IronM@sk, 20 Jul 2010 @ 5:01pm

[08:49] Twitter: BP Public Relations(BPGlobalPR) -- Hey BP fans! Photoshop our command center and win prizes!* (*there are no prizes) http://ow.ly/2edfr - Use #BPphotoshop

I can't wait to see the resulting meme pics LOL :D

Oh wait, here's one... http://twitpic.com/2754ns
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otb (profile), 20 Jul 2010 @ 6:54pm

WHY IS THERE AN 'OR' IN THE TITLE?!?

IF THESE PEOPLE WILL LIE TO US ABOUT STUPID SHAP LIKE THIS, HOW MANY LIES ARE THEY TELLING ABOUT THE IMPORTANT SHAP!?!?!?! NOTHING LESS THAN OUR COUNTRY IS AT STAKE!!!

I'm sorry for yelling.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 7:47pm
  
  Re:
  Are you on crack/cocaine?
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- nasch (profile), 21 Jul 2010 @ 8:57am
  
  Re:
  WHY IS THERE AN 'OR' IN THE TITLE?!?
  
  Because BP is not a petty criminal.
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otb (profile), 21 Jul 2010 @ 9:16am

re: nasch
Aren't they?

Petty criminals perform petty crimes... like dispensing falsified photos.

Does being a true felon trump the title of petty criminal? I suppose it might. But then, it might not.

And yes, I'm on crack.
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robster, 21 Jul 2010 @ 10:30am

what they were really doing...
here;s a link from the comments section to what they were really doing..

http://www.axisofwin.com/public/bpphotoshop9.jpg
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