Published on: March 17, 2026, 02:53h.
Updated on: March 17, 2026, 02:53h.
- Journalist faces pressure to revise missile report tied to $14M bets
- Online gamblers tried to manipulate war reporting for profit
- Threats escalated from digital messages to personal intimidation and police involvement
On March 10, an Iranian ballistic missile struck an open forested area near Beit Shemesh, Israel. The impact resulted in no injuries and only minor damage. Bystander footage and accounts from first responders confirmed it was a missile strike.
After receiving confirmation from contacts in the Israeli military that the explosion was indeed a result of a missile strike and not debris from interceptors, journalist Emanuel Fabian promptly penned a report for The Times of Israel.
But soon after, he began receiving unsettling messages.
‘Amend Your Error’
The messages flooded in through emails, texts, and social media. Initially, some messages appeared benign, merely urging Fabian to amend his “error” and state that the explosion resulted from interceptor debris, not a missile warhead.
“If you could revise everything to indicate interceptor debris, or even missile fragments tonight, it would be greatly appreciated,” read one message.
Initially perplexed, Fabian responded, pointing out, “The footage shows a massive explosion from hundreds of kilograms of explosives from the warhead; typically, a fragment wouldn’t cause such an explosion.”
Yet, the messages persisted, each sender fixated on one key detail: the explosion had to be redefined.
Upon investigating the profiles of two individuals who had commented on his report on X, Fabian noticed a strong interest in Polymarket betting.
This was when it dawned on him. Almost $14 million had been wagered on the prediction market regarding whether Iranian munitions would strike Israel on March 10. The contract specified what constituted a successful “hit”—an intercepted missile would not qualify.
In essence, these individuals were pressuring a journalist covering a war to distort the truth in order to benefit their bets.
‘We Will Not Back Down’
Things took a darker turn when Fabian was contacted via WhatsApp by someone identified as “Haim.”
“You have precisely half an hour to correct your attempt at influence,” Haim warned, implying that Fabian’s report was merely a maneuver to sway the market. “If you don’t amend this by 01:00 Israel time, March 15, you’re inviting unimaginable repercussions.”
Repeatedly calling, Haim escalated by sending personal information about Fabian’s family and address. At one point, he claimed he had $900K staked on the outcome.
“We will not abandon amounts like these,” Haim threatened, adding, “One minute remains…”
Despite the intimidation, Fabian did not alter his report. Instead, he documented the threats he received from some of Polymarket’s more dubious participants and reached out to the Israeli authorities.
Polymarket Response
When contacted for a statement, Polymarket condemned the harassment, asserting that such actions breached its terms of service.
“The integrity of prediction markets relies on independent reporting,” a spokesperson stated. “Pressuring journalists to alter their reports undermines both that integrity and the markets themselves.”
The company later confirmed that it had banned the involved accounts and would report their information to the appropriate authorities.