FBI joins search for perpetrators of Carson coronavirus hoax
LOS ANGELES - The FBI on Monday put out a call for public help tracking down the perpetrators of a fake bulletin circulated online last month warning of a "possible coronavirus outbreak" in the Carson area, a warning that was quickly deemed a hoax by county health officials.
The sheriff's department alerted the public about the hoax document on Jan. 30. The fake document included logos from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
It warned of an outbreak of the virus in at least five people and included a list of businesses in Carson and Torrance where patrons may have been exposed.
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Public health officials condemned the document as a hoax.
The FBI on Monday released a poster urging "anyone who has information about the person or group responsible for creating and/or posting this fraudulent document" to contact the federal agency of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The FBI can be reached around the clock at 310-477-6565.
Tips can also be submitted to the sheriff's department at www.lacrimestoppers.org.