Last week, a story about a young Vietnamese-Australian man with the name 'Phuc Dat Bich' went viral after he complained about being repeatedly banned from Facebook.
He even posted up a picture of his passport to allegedly back up his claim that his name was, indeed, Phuc Dat Bich (pronounced Phoo Da Bic).
Well, it seems the blighter has pulled the wool over the eyes of a multitude of media outlets around the world, as he admitted yesterday that the whole thing was a hoax. An Australian journalist had questioned the veracity of the man's claims after pointing out that no one had actually seen the passport - only a picture of it posted online.
The person behind the name - who now says his name is Joe Carr (Joker?) but why should we believe anything he says anymore - posted a message coming clean on Facebook saying:
"Do you remember the story; The boy who cried wolf?
Imagine that boy grew up into a mischievous man with 21st century technology at his finger tips.
I've never believed it's necessary for it to be mandatory to have your entire name to be published on social media. People should be free to use any name they desire. Facebook needs to understand that it is utterly impossible to legitimise a place where there will always be pranksters and tricksters.
What started as a joke between friends, became a prank that made a fool out of the media and brought out the best in the people who reached out to me. It didn't bring out the anger and darkness that we often see on the internet, but it brought a levity and humanity in a time we need it most.
Out of this ordeal I've concluded not to trust the credibility of the media, it's twisted by the hungry journalists who mask the truth.
I just want those who are reading this to take a step back and reflect what the media have claimed about me.
"What was his parents thinking?"
Funny right?
It goes to show that an average joe like myself can con the the biggest news sources with ease.
I want to acknowledge the supportive individuals who have encouraged those with truly interesting and idiosyncratic names that populate in different cultures. Hate and discrimination will remain if we continue to be so closed minded.
To those who do have culturally specific and spectacular names, ignore the ignorance in those who may try to put you down. Continue being the best person you can be and make your mark on the world in whatever way you can - even if it is a simple prank.
Yours sincerely,
Joe Carr aka PDB"