Truck clips hitting teenagers in Indonesia are misunderstood as “Bangladeshi drivers resisting blackmail”
A graphic video of a man hit by a truck filmed in Indonesia, which is linked to claims that the post shows that the driver boycotts the blackmail attempt in Bangladesh. According to Indonesian News, the teenager has been trying out the dangerous Tiktok challenge since July 2021 and died from injury.
Warning: graphic footage
“I salute this patriotic and brave driver and even killed a blackmailer. I call on all drivers in the country to strip the blackmailer in this way.” Read part of the Bengali title of the graphic Facebook video released on July 42025.
The video was viewed over 740,000 times and seemed to show a man standing in the middle of the road trying to stop the welcoming truck with his hands. However, the truck did not stop and crossed the individual.
Screenshot was captured on July 17, 2025 and added a red X to AFP
The same clip was shared in similar Facebook posts in Bangladesh, and according to a task force composed of the Provisional Government, ransomware was deeply entrenched (archived link).
He reportedly refused to pay the ransom money (a link to archive), and held a national protest on July 11 on July 11.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is considered an election leader in a poll scheduled to be held in April 2026, has also begun taking steps to remove allegedly involved members of crimes, from blackmail to rape and murder (archived here and here).
However, the videos circulating online were not filmed in Bangladesh.
Reverse image search on Google using keyframes in fake shared videos results in Indonesian language news reports, which include static (archive links) in clips.
A report by local media organization WARTA KOTA was released on July 13, 2021, involving a teenager’s injury and occurred on Re Martadinata Street (archive) in the Bekasi Regency North Cikarang district.
Comparison of screenshots of fake shared clips (left) and images used in WARTA KOTA reports (right)
A report published by the Pos Kota newspaper on July 14 also contains screenshots from the video.
According to the news media rhythm, the group of teenagers are doing a Tiktok challenge called “Grim Reaper Prank” (the archived link). The report said the group had earlier shot several similar videos before the fatal incident.
Elements visible in the wrong shared video, including lamp posts and curbside plant pots, also correspond to Google Street View images of Re Martadinata Street (archive link).
Comparison of screenshots of error-sharing videos (left) and Google Street View images Re Martadinata Street (right), with corresponding features highlighted by AFP
AFP debunked other posts that misrepresented clips because the clips were taken here and here.
