Imagine how much of a social shock it caused by an internet celebrity with 19 million followers who suddenly became the focus of a police release? It all stems from an incident on April 12, 2024, when an influencer named Mao Cup claimed to have accidentally found two missing winter vacation homework books for a Chinese primary school student known as "Qin Lang" in France. Mao Cup not only promised to help this fictional child complete his homework, but also handed him back the homework book in person, and this video quickly became popular on the Internet, attracting the attention of countless netizens and the media.
As the incident fermented, some people began to doubt the authenticity behind this, and soon, a person claiming to be "Uncle Qin Lang" was notified by the police as a fraud suspect, and then even a school came forward to clarify that there was no such person in their school. The story intensifies, from the heartwarming and funny at the beginning to the controversy and criticism that later on, leaving everyone wondering what a sophisticated scam this is.
In the end, the police in Xicheng District, Hangzhou uncovered the truth, and in order to attract traffic, Mao Cup and his team made a series of scripts and videos to fabricate this so-called "primary school student Qin Lang lost his winter vacation homework". It's all about web clicks and attention, and in fact, the drama is completely fictional. Police briefings and media exposure made the former internet celebrity the focus of public criticism overnight.
In the face of public doubts and anger, Mao Cup had to come forward to apologize, she admitted her fault in the video and expressed her apologies for the impact on the incident. However, a brief apology did not completely quell the public outrage. From an internet celebrity to the cusp of public opinion, the image and reputation of Cat Cup have been severely hit.
This incident is not only a discussion about integrity and ethics, it also reflects the huge dependence and influence of modern society on online information. When influencers have such a huge amount of influence, their actions and the messages they spread become extremely important. This incident reminds us that in the digital age, the pursuit of truth and vigilance is more important than ever, and we cannot sacrifice authenticity and integrity simply for the sake of chasing traffic and popularity. Hopefully, this lesson will lead to a more cautious approach to online information to prevent similar incidents from happening again.