Man detained for AIDS hoax

Police in north China's Tianjin have detained a man for spreading rumors that he had got infected with HIV and "successfully transmitted the disease to a college girl," sources with the Ministry of Public Security said.

After the 21-year-old suspect, surnamed Meng, flaunted this deed via a WeChat group chat, many Internet users reposted the messages and screenshots, causing public concerns and worries, said the ministry.

When the police found him on December 3, Meng confessed he made up the claim to draw public attention. A test afterward showed he was negative.

The man from the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was taken into custody for 15 days.