WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Angus Taylor stormed off the ABC Insiders set following a clash with Senator Jacqui Lambie.
OUR VERDICT
False. The incident did not happen, and the images are AI-generated.
AAP FACTCHECK - A fake televised clash between Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is being used to peddle an investment scam on social media.
The claimed interaction is fake, and the images have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).
The claim was originally made on a website that mimics ABC News' branding and layout.
The website is littered with fabricated quotes and AI-generated images, and redirects users to another fraudulent site that requests users' personal and financial information.
A screenshot of the fake website was shared in a Facebook post that said: "WOW!! Jacqui Lambi (sic) served it up to Angus Taylor".
The screenshot included a headline that said, "'I lived on $36 a day - don't you lecture me about budgeting': Jacqui Lambie destroys Angus Taylor on Insiders".
It also included an AI-generated image purporting to show Mr Taylor storming off the Insiders set after the claimed confrontation with Senator Lambie.
AAP FactCheck found no evidence the claimed TV segment was ever filmed, and the ABC has identified it as fake content.
Screenshots captured by an X user show dramatic images from a similar fabricated story.
The fake screenshots include one that depicts Mr Taylor splashing water in Senator Lambie's face, another that shows him kicking her on the ground, and another that shows him fleeing the Insiders' set, dripping head-to-toe in green paint.
The website responsible for the fake story uses authentic ABC News branding and typography to trick users into believing it is genuine.
The fabricated article about Ms Lambie and Mr Taylor elaborates on the fictional altercation using fake quotes and additional AI-generated images.
The story then pivots to promoting a supposed investment platform, claiming Senator Lambie endorsed the service in parliament.
"Every Australian deserves to know about it," the website falsely quotes Senator Lambie as saying.
At the bottom of the page, users are prompted to interact with an automated chatbot in order to register for the investment platform.
The chatbot requests personal details, including users' age, citizenship status and banking information.
Senator Lambie has issued a warning to her social media followers to avoid engaging with the fake accounts or providing personal information through external links.
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