CORONAVIRUS ‘FAKE NEWS’ NETWORK BUSTED IN HUNGARY

Hungarian police said Saturday it has busted a network of “fake news” websites that reported alleged coronavirus-related deaths in Hungary, so far free of reported infections from the deadly virus.

A man and woman are suspected of “operating dozens of fake news portals and linked Facebook pages” claiming that several people have been infected and died from coronavirus (also known as corona), said a statement on the police website.

The sites, whose articles carried sensational headlines, were aimed at increasing traffic and boosting advertisement revenue, said the police.

“A 37-year-old Hungarian woman has collapsed and died in Budapest, probably from coronavirus,” read a headline from one of the sites displayed by the police.

Computer equipment was seized at several locations during raids Friday, said the statement.

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