Edward Snowden death hoax rocks Twitter
A hoax tweet claiming that US whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden had been found dead had Twitter in a tizzy.

The tweet came from the handle @RussiaIntMinist, bearing the name of the Russian minister for internal affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev.
The tweet read,
Former NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden was found died few minutes ago in his home. No details.
— Vladimir Kolokoltsev (@RussiaIntMinist) May 6, 2015 While another one even announced a press conference featuring Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena later in the day.
Interior Minister Kolokoltsev and Anatoly Koucherena to meet the press at 5pm today on Snowden's death.
— Vladimir Kolokoltsev (@RussiaIntMinist) May 6, 2015 About an hour and a half later the same account tweeted:
This account is hoax created by Italian journalist Tommasso Debenedetti.
— Vladimir Kolokoltsev (@RussiaIntMinist) May 6, 2015 Later in the day, the official verified account of the Russian ministry of internal affairs @mvd_official confirmed that both the story and the account were fake.
The Italian "journalist" is also known for his hoax interviews conducted for several news papers. This wasn't the first time he impersonated Kolokoltsev.
Soon after the first two tweets were posted, journalist Glenn Greenwald, who had been instrumental in bringing Snowden's leaks to the world, debunked the rumour from his verified Twitter account.
Dear Lord: Journalists are actually emailing me about this - yes, it's a hoax https://t.co/8mHnFmsJuy
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 6, 2015 The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.