Chinese police detain 'bored' man for creating his fake arrest notice with $4,000 reward

A Chinese man was held under temporary detention by the police for creating his own arrest warrant, just because he was bored, and uploading it on the internet. 

The man, who goes by the surname Wang, shared a post on the social media platform with the title "Wanted Order" and along with it posted a picture of himself on November 11. 

In the post, he called himself Wang Yibo, which is the name of a famous actor and dancer in China. 

“I am a native of Qinyuan county, Changzhi city, Shanxi province. I extorted 30 million yuan (US$4 million) from a company on November 10, 2024. I possess a submachine gun and 500 bullets. If you find me, you will be rewarded 30,000 yuan (US$4,000),” said the man in the post.

How police handled the case 

The local police on November 12 found an unusual entry from Wang, who goes by the alias "haoyunsuishiyou" online, which means “have good luck anytime”.

According to Legal Daily, an investigation was initiated by the officers against the man, and he was arrested hours later.

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The police conducted the man's thorough searches and found that he did not possess any illegal items, like guns or ammunition. The police further confirmed that the man had not extorted any company. 

Wang accepted that he had fabricated the wanted order because he was bored. 

The post received 350,000 views in less than 24 hours and received 2,500 likes and comments from around 80 people, as per police reports. 

A “criminal coercive measure” was imposed by the police on Wang for creating and spreading false information.

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“The internet is not beyond the reach of the law. Fabricating a story and spreading it are both criminal acts. Anyone who concocts or circulates rumours will face judicial consequences,” said the police in the case.

Here's how the police reacted to the incident

The incident started a debate on social media as users expressed their amusement at the actions of Wang. 

“This is the silliest guy in the news this year, haha,” wrote a user.

“I laughed a bit when I saw he was wanted by himself, but couldn’t help giggling when he claimed to be Wang Yibo," commented another user. 

“Fine. You really are caught by the police now. Isn’t this what you wanted?” wrote a user.

(With inputs from agencies)