On 26/6, the Nui Cam Commune People's Committee fined Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, 38, 7,5 million VND for disseminating false information via social media.

The crocodile appearing in Vinh Tre canal was an AI creation.

Two weeks prior, Nhan reported to authorities about an 80 kg crocodile in Vinh Tre canal, providing images. Local officials issued warnings, urging residents to exercise caution near the canal while traveling, fishing, and recreating. Verification teams found no evidence of a crocodile.

Nhan's 17-year-old daughter later confessed to police that she fabricated the information, creating the images with AI and sharing them in a family Zalo chat.

A similar incident involving AI-generated crocodile images occurred last month in Tieu Can commune, Vinh Long province. A young man photographed a river near his home and sent it to a friend living abroad. The friend then used AI to add two crocodiles to the image and sent it back as a prank.

Believing the image was real, the recipient's family reported it to authorities. This led to warnings and searches before officials confirmed the image was AI-generated.

By Ngoc Tai