When Rahul Gandhi addressed reporters this week alleging that a Brazilian model’s photo had been used for voter fraud in Haryana, few expected it to become a cross-continental story. Within hours, social media users in India and Brazil were on a digital treasure hunt to find the woman behind the viral image.

The mystery woman turned out to be Larissa Nery, a 29-year-old hairdresser from Minas Gerais, Brazil — not a model, as initially assumed.

Who is Larissa Nery?

Larissa Nery lives in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, and runs a small salon there. Speaking to Luiz Fernando Menezes, a senior journalist from the Brazilian outlet Aos Fatos, Nery said she found the entire situation “comical.”

“I think all of this is a comedy,” she said. “They’re using my photo for voting in India! I’m not even a model.”

According to ThePrint, the photo at the center of the controversy was taken in 2017 by Brazilian photographer Matheus Ferrero, who later uploaded it to the free stock-photo platform Unsplash. Since then, Nery’s image has appeared “in millions of things,” she said — from marketing sites to identity-related posts.

Ferrero has since deleted the photo and reportedly deactivated his Instagram account after being flooded with messages from Indian users.

How her photo went viral in India

During his press conference, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, displayed the woman’s photo as evidence of alleged voter manipulation. He claimed that the image was “uploaded from a central server” and used across ten polling booths to cast 22 votes.

The moment instantly went viral. Indian social media platforms exploded with memes, speculations, and demands to know the woman’s identity.

Soon after, Nery posted on her Instagram account — where she has over 5,000 followers — to clear the air. “This photo is very old. I am not even a model,” she wrote, adding that she had posed for a photographer friend years ago to help him build his portfolio.

Larissa Nery reacts to her sudden fame

In a video statement shared online, Larissa confirmed she was indeed the woman in the viral picture. “They are using a photo of mine for some election in India. They are portraying me as an Indian woman to scam others,” she said in Portuguese.

Clearly overwhelmed, she added, “Oh my God, what madness is this? Reporters have even called the salon where I work.”

Her unexpected appearance in one of India’s most politically charged moments has sparked discussions about digital ethics, AI misuse, and the risks of free-use stock photography in the era of misinformation.

The bigger picture

Experts say Nery’s case highlights a growing global problem — how freely available images can be weaponized in misinformation campaigns. With the rise of AI tools, deepfakes, and unverified stock photos, even innocent people can find themselves in the middle of international controversies.

For Larissa, however, it’s all a surreal misunderstanding. As she told Aos Fatos, “I don’t know anything about Indian politics — but now, apparently, India knows me.”