Busted! Samsung uses stock photos and claims they're from the Galaxy A8 (2018)

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Back in 2016, Huawei posted a photo on its Google+ account, and while it didn't specifically say that the photo came from the Huawei P9, it insinuated that the dual camera setup on the phone was responsible for the image. But the EXIF data revealed that the photo was actually snapped by a $2,600 Canon EOS 5D Mark III using a $1,900 lens (EF70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM).

Something in the same vein just happened to Samsung Brazil. Twice, a tweet sent out by the company stated that a particular photo of a couple was taken with the front-facing camera on the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018). As it turns out, the image was a stock photo originally snapped in 2015 with the title, "Portrait of a beautiful hipster couple looking happy."

And the same thing happened with another picture that Samsung Brazil used to promote the selfie snapper on the Galaxy A8 (2018). That stock photo had the title of "'Boyfriend and girlfriend taking selfie, piggy back ride." Using both photos cost Samsung $499 each, making Getty Images $998 richer.

A Twitter user with the handle @feliperas busted Samsung Brazil. The company did respond, and when the excuse was translated into English, it read "Oops, sorry, you're right, Feliperas. The answer given before was not really correct. Many of the photos we post are taken using our smartphones, but some, like that, are images that also express the attitude of our target audience."

Next time you see a phone manufacturer promote sample pictures from one of its handsets, you might wonder whether the camera on the phone was used to snap the pictures in question. Or, was a professional photographer using professional gear used on the photo shoot?