SYDNEY, Nov 25 — An Australian called Phuc Dat Bich, who made global headlines after saying he was discriminated against by Facebook because of his name, has admitted it was hoax.
According to the BBC, “Mr Bich” made a surprise confession on Facebook today that his real name was actually Joe Carr — although some have pointed out that this reads as “Joker.”
Indeed, Guardian Australia claimed that he told them that his name was Tin Le, and that he was 23 and lived in Melbourne, but refused requests for verification.
“Well, you’ll just have to have faith and run with what you have,” he reportedly said. “I’m too tired with it all. Call me Mr T.”
In a Facebook post, “Mr Bich” said what had started as a joke between friends turned into a prank that fooled the world’s media.
He added: “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.
“What started as a joke between friends, became a prank that made a fool out of the media.”
In his post, “Mr Bich” added that “his ordeal” had taught him “not to trust the credibility of the media” and that it “goes to show that an average joe like myself can con the biggest news sources with ease”.
Yet he also took heart from the response to his prank, saying 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.”
In January, “Mr Bich” posted to Facebook a screenshot of an Australian passport that appeared to show his full legal name was Phuc Dat Bich.
He claimed that his account had been shut down multiple times because he had been accused of “using a false and misleading name.”
He added that he found it “highly irritating the fact that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it.”
The story went viral on social media last week, before it was picked up by news organisations.
Earlier this week, “Mr Bich” even went as far as thanking his supporters, saying he hoped he had “played a part in brightening your days.”
