Woman Fined 7.5 Million VND for Faking 37 'Ghost Encounters' in Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh provincial police have fined a woman from Hanoi 7.5 million VND for creating and disseminating 37 fabricated stories about encountering ghosts during her travels in the Ninh Binh province. The fine was imposed for the act of "providing and sharing fabricated information, false information, and made-up information that caused public concern."

The woman, identified only as L.Q.A., used a Threads account named "Netolatone" to post numerous accounts of supernatural and mysterious phenomena she claimed to have experienced while visiting Ninh Binh. These posts quickly gained traction, attracting over 52,000 likes and tens of thousands of interactions, comments, and shares from online users.

Authorities from the Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control investigated the matter. They confirmed that L.Q.A. was the owner of the social media account. During questioning on June 8, L.Q.A. confessed to posting the 37 stories, admitting that many details were baseless, lacked witnesses, and were added by her to make the narratives more compelling.

Further investigation included speaking with the driver who transported L.Q.A. during her trip. The driver, N.M.T., confirmed that the vehicle did not break down and that he did not ask the passenger to leave the car, refuting specific details in her fabricated accounts. L.Q.A. also admitted that elements such as calling an ex-boyfriend and his mother to enhance the spiritual aspect of her stories were entirely untrue.

Following the investigation, L.Q.A. removed the posts and pledged not to repeat such actions. The Ninh Binh police used the incident to urge the public to enhance their awareness and responsibility when using social media, emphasizing the importance of verifying information before posting or sharing it.