Author of fabricated viral Threads story sentenced to 3 years in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz — A 23-year-old Astana resident who fabricated a story about alleged sexual assault during his military service to solicit donations on Threads has been sentenced to three years in prison, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Background of the case
On February 23, an anonymous post appeared on Threads that quickly went viral. The author claimed he had been sexually assaulted during his military service and had been living in fear of persecution for a year since his discharge.
The post alleged that a commander had coerced him into sexual acts under threat of violence. The author provided a detailed account of the incident and claimed he needed to leave Kazakhstan immediately.
Simultaneously, he appealed to users for financial assistance, attaching bank details for money transfers.
How the hoax was uncovered
The authenticity of the story was questioned by a social media user who contacted the police. During the investigation, law enforcement established that the bank account belonged to a 17-year-old youth. The teenager explained that he had met the author at a hostel and provided his bank details at the man's request, as the latter claimed he was unable to use his own account. The teenager was reportedly unaware of any illegal activity.
In just two days, the account received more than 15 transfers.
Following investigative operations, police detained the author of the post.

It was revealed that the 23-year-old Astana resident had never served in the military, and the entire story was fabricated.
According to police, his actions not only spread false information but also discredited military service. During the investigation, the man confessed that he had posted the story solely for financial gain.
Court verdict

"Criminal cases were initiated for fraud and the dissemination of deliberately false information. By court decision, the man was found guilty and sentenced to three years of imprisonment," the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated.

Police have urged Kazakhstanis to remain skeptical of unverified information on social media and to avoid transferring money to strangers without fact-checking.