BlockBeats News, March 16th, Emanuel Fabian, a reporter for The Times of Israel, mentioned that due to his accurate coverage of the Iran missile attack, he became a target of harassment and death threats from users of the prediction market Polymarket.
On March 10th, an Iranian ballistic missile hit the outskirts of Jerusalem in Beit Shemesh. The reporter stated in the report that the missile hit an uninhabited area and caused no casualties. In the following days, the reporter received numerous emails and WhatsApp messages demanding that he amend his report, claiming that the actual impact was from interceptor missile fragments.
It is reported that Polymarket users had wagered over $14 million on the question “Will Iran attack Israel on March 10th?” According to the platform’s rules, intercepted missiles do not count as part of an “attack.” If the reporter amends the report, it would ensure a significant windfall for them.
Subsequently, the threats escalated, with someone fabricating screenshots of the reporter’s emails, others pressuring him through colleagues and promising a share of the winnings, eventually culminating in direct death threats. A threatener claiming to be named Haim stated that if the reporter does not amend the report, which caused them a loss of $900,000, they would invest an amount not less than this to “settle” the reporter.
Currently, the reporter has filed a police report, and the Israeli police are investigating. The reporter stated that his reporting will not change due to threats, but expressed concern that other reporters may find it difficult to uphold professional ethics if promised a share of the winnings. Last month, Israeli reserve soldiers and civilians were prosecuted for using confidential information to bet on prediction platforms.
