Despair to due a fake news website!

[sara221]

I am feeling the rage-someone has gone on a fake news/prank website and posted a fake story about my business! I am using a relatively nc for this thread but am a long time lurker.
I just can not believe that people can be so evil, I have literally slogged over the last two years to get my business up and running- now in the place of 48hours my reputation is in tatters.
I am so upset-I guess I just need a good rant!
The sad thing is that people are believing an obvious lie, which could easily be checked on a simple google search. I have been dealing with hundreds of callers, not even customer-calling through to shout and scream at me. I have had a member of the public come in and threaten me-been told 'it is a good job your open' or else ' i would have put a brick through your windows'.
I just am speechless at the sheer levels of hatred and vitriol. I just feel like saying sod it and close!
I just do not understand why people believe everything they read-without checking at least one legitimate news site.
My business has been so badly affected by these lies, I just do not know what to do. I have reported it to the police and it could fall into the Malicious Communication 2003-but this Act is so out of date with modern social media. I just feel despair, that someone-anyone can go on a fake news site and then just screenshot and send on to major social media, to accounts with private settings-that can not be reported.
I have already had to cut my staff hours-there is a human cost to these stupid website and trying close down someone's business is not free speech.
If you have read this far, then I thank you and apologise for the length and if it reads illogically- but I am so upset and angry.

I'm a bit confused as to why you're reluctant to say what's been said?

How is the Op being reluctant? She has posted the link, the name of the restaurant and what to search.

It's bloody horrid some of the stuff I wouldn't want to type it out either

I feel sick about repeating the horrid details of this 'story'. I appreciate everyones support.
I have even said to the public-if there was any truth to the story, clearly the restaurant would have been closed down, with police, forensics officers everywhere, with Sky new and the BBC reporting the story. It would at least be mentioned in the national press. Yet when I state this-I am sworn at and screamed at! Apparently I am lying and will say anything. Today I did a Facebook live stream, very hastily done because a member of the public was convinced that the restaurant was closed.
I also that 'fake news' was something that occurred to people in the public but of high profile-mine is literally a tiny little restaurant.
Also I am kind of insulted by the assumption readily accepted, that a Indian restaurant must be owned and run by a man! When I state this to the people calling up-they tell me that restaurants are owned by men(I clearly did not get that memo!) Honestly!!!

Fgs. Do they not realise that this kind of story would be headline news if it was true? What a bunch of dickheads.
Hope you get to the bottom of this, op.

I'm so sorry to read this, OP. How absolutely bloody awful.

Good luck with the story in the local paper.

You would think RedBullBlood but apparently I do not know what I am talking about!
I have already had to cut staff hours for a few member because people are truly spooked, and that old saying of 'no smoke without fire'.

I'd try to go above local press and try the national press- this is worth 'getting out there' and making people aware that these things are possible. Sounds horrendous- so sorry you're going through such a horrible thing.

Collect as much documentary evidence as you can OP, both of the malicious stories and their proliferation, and their multiple consequences, and go to see your MP and demand action. It is awful that this is happening to you and it shouldn't happen to any business.

And YY to using all kinds of media and your business itself to conduct your own honourable counter-campaign.

Dixie I truly do not know where to start-nothing in my life has prepared me for this type of attack. I have to say it has been even more shocking knowing the law in this area is so woefully behind. I checked the Malicious Communication 2003 and even some parts still have not been added in. The internet has grown exponentially in the residing years and social media clearly can be used maliciously- whilst the big companies are not required to do anything.
There is a human cost to the clicks, that people are forwarding without checking anything.

Lauder I am taking screenshots-I have never campaigned for anything ever and not sure where I would start. I even cringed having to do the Facebook live thing earlier today-I actually pointed it away from me and hastily took a video of the restaurant(not looking its best-have a leak-when things go wrong-everything does at once!). I then did a quick demo on my laptop of where to find the story and I tried to debunk the lies by showing the same story about other restaurants.

I can't believe that sites like that are allowed to exist, knowing the kind of damage it can do to people. I really hope you can get your message out there; it's shocking that the law is so 'behind'.

Sara I've been to your restaurant and had a great time, your food is lovely.
I'm sure this will blow over though I appreciate the negative impact and distress it's causing you and the restaurant right now. You will come back from this! Only idiots would believe this rubbish, the sensible people of New cross will come out in support of you keep sharing your live and keep hammering home the truth. Wishing the business a speedy recovery!

Siouxie thank you for your lovely words and support. I guess It really is a small world, that a forum user here is also one of my patrons!
I am trying to not, just go under my duvet covers and hope this just disappears-alas I know this shall not be the case.
I will continue try my best and appreciate everyone here on the forum because sleep is not something that is happening.

Sara I'm so sorry this has happened to you

OP i loterally only saw one post on fb aboit this when i searched. You may want to search and take a look.

Hopefully a local paper will run a story a bit later on today, I hope this helps people understand that fake news should not be believed. Fingers crossed today will be less horrid.

What i can't gwt my head round is that people have actually believed it!
Are people stupid??
I can see that it's most probably a kid who has done this and not meant to be malicious ( hopefully) as this storyline was off a cartoon.
I really can't can't belive people would actually believe it.

People are incredible stupid, I am shocked anyone would believe this. I've just commented on your Facebook announcement just so people see more supportive comments when they check your page.
I hope you are able to get it sorted and find the person responsible, what a horrible thing to do.

Sara221, this may seem a bit out there but I'd tweet all the celebrity chefs and see if anyone will help you to publicise the harm that fake news can do, not only to celebs who are in the limelight, but to every :day hard working people too.
They have huge followings on social media and rather than the local press, you need to get people who have read it on social media, to see you being endorsed on social media.
Nothing to lose is there?
Get Gordon on the case!

Can you create some kind of easily shareable images with the truth on? Then ask people to share far and wide? Using the #fakenews hash tag might help too.

I would also put something on just eat about how untrue all this is too.

I just googled Karri Twist and thankfully nothing is coming up. It will blow over. On a side note your menu looks lovely and you're about 15 minutes from me and I'm hoping I'm in your delivery area

There's nothing on your FB page to refute the fake news story?

I would speak to the police. It looks like a nunber of Indian restaurants have been targeted with this ridiculous 'story' across the UK and I wonder if it could be considered a hate crime?

Damn it, you're not in my delivery area for Just Eat at 2.6 miles away. 15 minutes according to google maps.

I would call the police, this could easily be recorded as a hate crime.