MOFA warns against trusting documents sold on dark web

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging the public not to fall for information spread by "ill-intentioned individuals" following local media reports on Thursday that confidential diplomatic documents are up for sale on the dark web.

According to the Liberty Times, the seller claimed the documents contain "first-hand information that has never been leaked before," dating from 2022 to this year, with the most recent from March.

Some have allegedly already been sold on the dark web, it added.

The ministry responded in the evening, saying that it had been informed of the situation and that it considered the seller of the documents to be suspicious, adding that the whole case involved tampering by overseas agents, forgery and malicious cognitive warfare.

The ministry said it will coordinate with relevant agencies to further investigate the matter. It also urged the public not to fall for false information created by "ill-intentioned individuals" who it said were guilty of manipulating and damaging the government and societal trust.