The rumor about a "serial killer" in the Kyzylorda region became one example of how disinformation is constructed in Kazakh social networks. Law enforcement agencies confirmed that several separate crimes in the region were artificially combined into a single frightening story, although these cases are not related to each other. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Experts note that the most dangerous lie is one that contains a grain of truth. Manipulators rarely fabricate events entirely — it is much more effective to take a real fact and supplement it with false conclusions.
"Thus, information about planned work at a field became the basis for rumors about an allegedly inevitable shortage of autogas in the Mangystau and Atyrau regions. In reality, supplies were carried out as usual, and fuel volumes exceeded the stated demand," the Center explained.
A separate channel for spreading fakes is voice messages. Unlike text, which can be reread and doubted, a voice with emotional intonation and references to "acquaintances in the akimat" or "a police officer" creates an illusion of credibility. This is how false messages about chemical emissions and mass water outages spread — authors usually urged to "urgently forward to everyone."
Increasingly, unreliable information is disseminated in the Kazakh language — this allows faster coverage of local communities and regional chats. One example is the rumor that from July 1, parking cars near private houses is supposedly prohibited.
"In fact, the changes only concerned long-term storage of abandoned and disassembled vehicles in public areas, but the legal norm was deliberately presented as a new ban for all car owners," experts added.
Specialists advise not to react to alarming messages instantly, but to pause and ask yourself three questions: who is the source of the information, do official bodies or several independent sources confirm it, and are they trying to evoke fear or a sense of urgency in you. It is these few seconds of verification that most often become the best protection against manipulation.