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Report: Fake story about Steve Jobs planted by teenager

No evidence exists that the 18-year-old who submitted a fake story to CNN's iReport regarding Jobs' health attempted to profit from the report, according to Bloomberg.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Google, as the most prominent company on the Internet defends its search juggernaut while expanding into nearly anything it thinks possible. He has previously written about Apple, the traditional PC industry, and chip companies. E-mail Tom.
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The teenager who submitted a fake story to CNN's iReport about Steve Jobs appears to have stayed away from the stock market that day, according to a report. James Martin/CNET News

The fake story submitted to CNN's iReport site that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack was the work of an 18-year-old, according to a report.

Bloomberg is reporting that investigators have determined that the teenager planted the story on CNN's user-generated news site. But they have found no evidence that the suspect attempted to profit from the sharp drop in Apple's stock that occurred after Silicon Alley Insider picked up the CNN posting and published it before verifying whether it was true. The suspect was not named, but the Securities and Exchange Commission has been trying to determine if the story was planted with the idea of making money in the stock market, which would be a crime.

Apple has been forced to deal with all kinds of speculation regarding Jobs' health this year, and any report that his health might be in danger is sure to be met with a frantic response from Wall Street traders who believe Jobs' impact on Apple cannot be overstated.