A bizarre video allegedly recorded at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York is taking over the Internet, showing a woman calmly presenting a passport from “Torenza,” a country that exists nowhere on Earth.
The clip, which went viral TikTok AND Instagram with millions of views, shows a traveler from Tokyo confidently explaining that her hometown, Torenza, is located in the Caucasus region. His calm tone during the alleged immigration interview left airport staff stunned.
“Authorities at JFK airport were shocked when a woman from Tokyo presented a passport issued by a nation called Torenza, a country that, according to all known documents, maps and databases, simply does not exist,” one user commented.
The strange footage quickly sparked a firestorm of online speculation. Theories ranged from a deepfake hoax to a glitch in the multiverse, emerging amid growing fears about misinformation generated by artificial intelligence.
On X (formerly Twitter), a user wrote:
“The viral story of the ‘Torenza Passport Woman’ landing at JFK is raising serious concerns about AI-generated fake news,” sharing the viral video along with disbelief and confusion.
The truth: a hoax generated by artificial intelligence
The mystery, however, did not last long. Fact-checkers have confirmed that the video is generated by artificial intelligence and is not real.
Grok
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“This story of a woman at JFK with a ‘Torenza’ passport appears to be a hoax inspired by the old urban legend ‘The Man from Taered.’
There are no credible news sources or official airport reports confirming the incident. It is likely another example of AI-generated misinformation spreading online.”
A look back: the mystery of the “Man of Taered”.
Torenza’s viral story has revived interest in a famous 1954 urban legend known as “The Man from Taered.”
That summer, at Tokyo’s Haneda airporta well-dressed European man arrived on a flight from Europe and presented a passport from a country no one had ever heard of: Taered.
He insisted that Taered was a sovereign nation located between France and Spain, exactly where Andorra is today. His passport looked authentic, complete with entry stamps from real countries, including Japan. Fluent in multiple languages, he said he was in Tokyo on a routine business trip.
Confused, airport officials detained him overnight in a hotel under heavy security while they investigated. But in the morning, both the man and his belongings had disappeared without a trace, from a room locked from the inside. There were no records of his departure.
The case became one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th century, later nicknamed “The Man of Taered”.
The modern echo
The “Torenza woman” video may be fake, but it shows how artificial intelligence and viral storytelling can bring old myths back to life, mixing reality, fiction and fear in the digital age.
As one user said:
“Maybe it didn’t come from another planet… but the story definitely came from another algorithm.”
Sources: Hindustan Times, Grok Fact-Check
