The city got scammed into scheduling a reception and signing a trade agreement with a fictional country made up by an internet troll.
It's a textbook case of an overseas scam -- except the victim was an American city.
Officials in Newark, New Jersey were initially thrilled to partner with the Hindu nation of the United States of Kailasa-- the only problem?
The country doesn't exist.
After hosting "delegates" from the made-up country at a formal ceremony in January, City Hall has now admitted the whole thing was a scam led by notorious Indian fugitive Swami Nithyananda.
Newark officials said the agreement only lasted for six days and was rendered "baseless and void," adding that no money was exchanged in the ceremony.
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During the signing ceremony on Jan. 12, New Mayor Ras Baraka told the fake delegates: "I pray that our relationship helps us to understand cultural, social, and political development and improves the lives of everybody in both places."
Kailasa is supposedly a Hindu country... located on an island off the coast of Ecuador.
A Hindu country off the coast of Ecuador? Hindus have a colony in South America?!?!
Sure, why not. Go with it, City of Newark.
I mean, it sounds like one of those fake countries they make up for on cheesy TV shows or Marvel movies, but go with it.
"No one in City Hall, not one person did a Google search, so maybe we need a transformation of City Hall because not one person said, 'Let me go and Google and figure out this was a fake city,'" resident Shakee Merritt told CBS.
Trust your government bureaucrats and experts. They know best, Peons.