Updated to add Bramante’s response
The website AURSONLINE.COM carries a disclaimer pointing out that it is a “satirical critique”, but some users online have been tricked into believing that the site, which invites people to report the unvaccinated in return for money, is authentic.
Some posts feature screengrabs of the landing page of the alleged Anonymous Unvaccinated Reporting System (AURS), which has the following message: “Earn extra cash! Report unvaccinated Family, Friends & Neighbors (FFNs) anonymously online. Every name you submit gives you a chance to win $2,500 in our monthly sweepstakes”
Examples can be found Instagram ( here , here ) , Twitter ( here , here ) and Facebook ( here ).
Some posts also feature a TikTok clip with the claim that has since been deleted as of the publication of this check ( here ).
While some users do acknowledge it is not a real platform and that it was created as satire, others don’t. “Remember the Nazi’s,” “Civilians are being treated like criminals now,” and “Turning us against ourselves! Divide and conquer,” some comments read.
The site has been up since at least Aug. 1, according to the earliest online archived versions available on the Wayback Machine and archive.today ( here , here ).
The website’s About Us page states: “Disclaimer: The AURS is a satirical critique by political candidate David Alexander Bramante, in association with his campaign David Bramante for Governor 2021.”
Bramante, a Republican candidate running in the upcoming California recall election on Sept. 14 ( here ), has been critical of COVID-19 mitigation measures ( archive.ph/wip/QVazS ).
According to Bramante, “the fact that this website AURS is taken seriously exemplifies where the direction of society is headed,” he told Reuters via email. In a tweet, he said, “Not everyone loves my approach by creating the #AURS website, and I respect that. But the ultimate goal is true and pure. I want to make sure freedom of choice is protected.” ( here )
VERDICT
Satire. A website offering a system to anonymously report unvaccinated people was created as a “satire critique”.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.