Are ‘Somali Pirates’ Real? Some May Only Be Acting

The video opens in the slums of Eastleigh, a sprawling suburb of Nairobi in Kenya and home to ‘the fixer,’ a man who the UK’s Channel 4 claims has duped countless western journalists.

According to Channel 4 the “fixer” offers journalists the opportunity to interview real live pirates – for a fee of US $200. Touting his local knowledge, he promises to reach parts of the community a western journalist never could. He then follows an elaborate scheme to convince journalists that he is legitimate.

But it’s a scam, one that has fooled the readers of many top media organizations including Time magazine. Watch the video above for the full details.