Police bust online operation boosting posts with fake accounts

Police have cracked a major case involving people paid to share, comment on and "like" online posts, the cybersecurity protection bureau of the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday.

Cybersecurity authorities discovered a highly organized group making money by posting large numbers of comments and sharing multiple articles through inauthentic accounts, the bureau said.

The group operated across various regions of the country and seriously undermined social and economic order, according to the bureau.

Police carried out a coordinated operation against the group, dismantling six dens, capturing 23 suspects and seizing more than 30,000 fake accounts. The case involved more than 200 million yuan ($27.4 million), the bureau said.

Authorities also confiscated more than 6,000 cellphones and computers allegedly used in the operation.