Herald of false rumors arrested

Recently, there appeared rumors that Vietnam would change its currency. That news was soon widespread like wild fire on the Internet, causing anxieties and worries to the public, seriously affecting life and currency security of Vietnam. Under the directions by the Ministry of Public Security, relevant units immediately conducted investigations into the case, clarifying the source of the rumors.

Suspect Nguyen Xuan Long

Results of the investigation agency show that from the end of October 2016, social networks have seen comments distorting economic policies of the State, and then the information about Vietnam’s plan for its currency change was spreading out. Rumormongers even posted images of the so-called “new Vietnamese currency samples”, saying that new Vietnamese currency notes had already been printed in China and would soon be transported to Vietnam. They called on people to withdraw money from their bank accounts to buy and store gold and foreign currencies. They did not forget defaming the Vietnamese leadership and provoking people to protest local authorities.

Particularly, a Facebook fanpage called “Vit Bau”, with over 70 thousand likes, continuously uploaded and shared false and distorted information relating Vietnam’s plan to change its currency. Their false pieces of information spread like wild fire on social networks.

The account used by the suspect Nguyen Xuan Long

Nguyen Xuan Long (34, resident of Vuon Dua Village, Phuoc Tan commune, Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province) was among the 3 admins of the page, police said.

The page “Vit Bau” was founded in 2015 and has ever been run by a woman named Nguyen Hang, Long said. Hang offered Long the authority to co-run the page from September 2016.

Long used a facebook account named ‘Phong Tuan” and an alias called “Mr Duck” to upload about 10 posts per day, on average, on the page. He wrote his own posts or reposted information from other hostile pages, or even from official online websites but with his ill-defined comments for bad purposes.

The posts on the page were uploaded in an attempt to create economic uncertainty and social unrest, which might probably lead to political instability in Vietnam.

At the investigation agency, Long confessed that his activities violated the laws, harming the society.

The investigation results have shed lights on the ill plots of the suspects.

The case is still under investigation to find out other involved individuals.