Shandong fines 3 people for forged online death threats

Cyber police in East China’s Shandong Province imposed a fine of 1,000 yuan ($146) against three people who forged death threats on Chinese social media platforms, which startled embassies and even China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suspect, a woman surnamed Lü, faked a “death threat” from believers of Satanism she received when she was staying in Germany, and posted it online on February 11, 2018. She also forwarded the threat to a Sina Weibo account with millions of fans and spread the information on Weibo, police of Yantai, East China’s Shandong Province, where the company who owns the Weibo account is located, said on Tuesday.

The account also passed on the information to other popular accounts owned by the company, and caused bad influence online, police said.

The case then drew the attention of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League (CYLC), who contacted the Chinese embassy and consulates in Germany and advised the user to call the embassy and consulates for help.

The CYLC later said on Weibo the Chinese embassy in Germany never received such calls for help.

The netizen later claimed the embassy ignored her.

The threat was eventually proven false, and the user apologized on Weibo the next day, according to screen grabs circulated online.

The Beijing-based company, who ran the popular Weibo accounts, was also fined 9,000 yuan, Yantai cyber police said on Monday.

These Weibo accounts had been removed as of press time.