NSW Police say that a story about a man warning people of an impending terrorist attack in Sydney on New Year’s Eve is a hoax.
Sources say the story circulating around the community talks about a Sydneysider who finds a wallet and returns it to the owner – often described as being a Middle Eastern man – who, as a sign of good faith, warns not to be in Sydney on New Year’s Eve or around Christmas.
The events in Martin Place on Monday have caused some on social media to repeat the chilling message as a factual tale and speculate that yesterday’s fatal siege was the forewarned event the man in the story was threatening.
On the official NSW Police Facebook page authorities say that they believe the message was designed to “create fear in the community” and emphasise that it is a complete “hoax” with no factual basis.
Yesterday 17 people were taken hostage by 50-year-old Man Haron Monis in a terrifying siege that shutdown Sydney.
Sydney mother-of-three Katrina Dawson and café manager Tori Johnson were killed in the dramatic 17-hour ordeal and four other hostages and a police officer were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The gunman – a self-described cleric who was on bail after last year being charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and most recently more than 40 counts of sexual assault on an alleged seven victims – was shot dead by police at 2am on Tuesday morning.
Police urge anyone who has any information about possible terrorism to report it by calling the National Security Hotline on 1800 1234 00.
