The Chinese government has a team of police officers who create fake social accounts to harass dissidents and other critics outside of its borders, according to U.S. prosecutors.
The group, known as the "912 Special Project Working Group,” has been particularly active in recent years, according to the Justice Department.
Its activity, outlined in detailed court documents from U.S. officials, involves instances such as an incident on Sept. 15, 2021, when Marlon Pindos, a Facebook user from the Philippines, posted a video with the caption "brags and cheats every day” about an unnamed critic of the Chinese government who fled the country and now lives in New York City.