The pro-Kremlin troll and the false Sydney attack claims

"I ne'er falsely suggested anything," Simeon Boikov tells me.

Under the change ego "Aussie Cossack", helium posted untrue speculation that a 20-year-old Jewish assemblage pupil was the attacker who had stabbed and killed 5 women and 1 antheral astatine a Westfield buying centre successful Sydney.

He said connected X: "Unconfirmed reports place the Bondi attacker arsenic Benjamin Cohen. Cohen? Really? And to deliberation truthful galore commentators tried to initially blasted Muslims."

Within hours of Mr Boikov's station connected X, the mendacious claims helium amplified had reached hundreds of thousands of radical connected X and Telegram, and had adjacent been repeated by a nationalist quality outlet.

I tracked him down due to the fact that I privation to recognize however his posts triggered an online frenzy that reached the mainstream media - with superior consequences for Mr Cohen, who's described his distress astatine being accused of an onslaught helium had thing to bash with.

Mr Boikov is speaking to maine from the Russian consulate successful Sydney, to wherever helium fled much than a twelvemonth agone aft a warrant was issued implicit his apprehension for alleged assault. The pro-Kremlin societal media property was granted Russian citizenship by Russian President Vladimir Putin past twelvemonth - and has requested governmental asylum successful Russia.

He wasn't the archetypal idiosyncratic to notation the sanction Benjamin Cohen. It appeared to originate connected a tiny relationship sharing astir exclusively anti-Israel content.

This is 1 of the ways disinformation present spreads.

Digital disinformation adept Marc Owen-Jones says: "It's little evident and suspicious than if an influential and known partisan relationship was to initially tweet it.

"Then much established accounts tin usage this 'seeded' communicative arsenic if it's a morganatic vox pop, and assertion they are conscionable 'reporting' what's being said online."

There were besides different larger accounts suggesting the onslaught was someway connected to Israel oregon Gaza - earlier Aussie Cossack's posts connected X.

But his were the archetypal featuring Mr Cohen's sanction to spell viral.

That's apt due to the fact that helium had purchased a bluish tick, meaning his contented was prioritised up of different users and appeared higher up connected people's feeds, including users who did not travel him.

The archetypal station racked up much than 400,000 views, according to X's ain information - earlier constabulary identified the attacker arsenic Cauchi, not Benjamin Cohen. Aussie Cossack followed up with different station connected X with the likeness of a video showing the existent attacker, Cauchi, broadside by broadside with a representation of Mr Cohen.

On Telegram, helium besides posted a screengrab of Mr Cohen's LinkedIn page, revealing wherever helium worked and studied.

But speaking to me, Mr Boikov stresses the scepticism successful his tweet - helium says helium was the "first ample level to pass this is unconfirmed".

He suggests helium pointed retired the unconfirmed quality of the assertion to "the hundreds of thousands of radical who saw my posts".

However, comments from tons of users online successful effect to his posts suggest they viewed it the other way, and assumed Mr Cohen was the attacker.

I challenged Mr Boikov connected however his posts had amplified mendacious claims to hundreds of thousands of people, causing superior harm to the pupil astatine its centre. This came arsenic families were - and inactive are - grieving for loved ones killed successful the attack.

"Sorry, love, you're doing that close now," helium said. "What you're doing present is you are talking astir the speculation of a mendacious claim, and you're penning a communicative astir it."

Mr Boikov's is 1 of hundreds of precise progressive accounts connected X with bluish ticks present regularly sharing contented successful this mode - whether oregon not it's true.

Under X's caller guidelines - since Elon Musk bought the societal media institution - users tin person a "share of the revenue" generated by ads from their posts, if they acquisition a bluish tick.

Aussie Cossack's posts were picked up and re-circulated by dozens of different accounts, including respective with a way grounds of sharing mendacious claims. Several regularly stock contented captious of Israel oregon contented relating to the warfare successful Gaza.

These mendacious accusations soon bled connected to different societal media platforms.

"Benjamin Cohen" was the hunt enactment suggested connected respective videos of the onslaught by TikTok erstwhile I was looking done contented related to the stabbing connected Saturday night.

Scrolling done these clips, I recovered the comments were littered with his sanction earlier the constabulary had confirmed the existent individuality of the attacker.

"The attacker's sanction is Benjamin Cohen IDF Soldier," 1 idiosyncratic wrote. Their relationship had nary posts, and nary illustration picture. I sent a message. No response.

"Shame he's a Jew right? Why don't the media outlets statement him?" different relationship wrote connected a video showing radical moving done the mall. As soon arsenic I messaged this 1 asking astir its comments, it blocked me.

It's hard to corroborate definitively wherever these accounts are based. They person the hallmarks of inauthentic profiles, without immoderate identifying features and sharing divisive comments repeatedly.

X, Telegram and TikTok person not yet replied to the BBC's requests for comment.

Worryingly, the speculation was picked up by Australian media outlet 7News, which named Benjamin Cohen arsenic the "40-year-old lone wolf attacker". Screengrabs of their study further fuelled the wildfire online.

7News aboriginal retracted the study and apologised, attributing it to "human error".

But by this point, antisemitic threats were being directed astatine Benjamin Cohen, who has described the incidental arsenic "highly distressing and disappointing to myself and my family". He has expressed daze not lone that helium was falsely accused repeatedly connected societal media, but that adjacent a large quality web had identified him.

While the societal media frenzy was unfolding, his dada Mark Cohen defended his lad connected X. He called connected New South Wales Police to uncover the sanction of the attacker "before this nonsense claiming it was my lad causes much harm".

In parallel, mendacious claims were circulating that the attacker was Muslim. These were shared by salient journalists and governmental accounts connected X with hundreds of thousands of followers from the UK to the US.

British writer and presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer suggested the stabbings were "another panic onslaught by different Islamist terrorist", portion TV presenter Rachel Riley said it was portion of a "Global Intifada". They some aboriginal retracted their posts.

Hartley-Brewer posted that she had been "incorrect" and that the Sydney massacre "was not an Islamist panic attack", portion Riley said she was "sorry" if her connection had been "misunderstood".

Dozens of accounts connected TikTok besides dispersed mendacious claims that the attacker was Muslim. I messaged respective of them - but they haven't responded.

Several online forums dedicated to incels - a subculture who specify themselves arsenic incapable to get a intersexual partner, contempt desiring 1 - person praised Cauchi arsenic 1 of their ain for the attack.

But truthful acold there's nary factual grounds of Cauchi being progressive straight with these online movements. When asked wherefore Cauchi could person targeted women, his begetter said that his lad had "wanted a girlfriend" and that had had "no societal skills and was frustrated retired of his brain".

Increasingly, attacks successful the existent satellite are being followed by this benignant of societal media frenzy - wherever misinformation is hugely amplified.

For the families and friends of those who person been killed, and the guiltless bystanders falsely accused, this toxic rumour-mill is causing superior harm.