What is it like to be the focus of an online conspiracy theory that goes viral? Four people whose lives were upended by conspiracists tell the Guardian’s Ed Pilkington how they dealt with it – and why it could happen to anyone. Plus: Jamie Fullerton on the monkey gangs of Kuala Lumpur whose jungle habitat is being swallowed by the city

What happens when lies and conspiracy theories spread out of control online – and you are at the centre of them? This growing phenomenon is becoming a regular occurrence in America, from where the Guardian’s Ed Pilkington tells India Rakusen how he sought out some of the victims and their stories.

He also speaks to Marcel Fontaine (pictured), who was accused of being the Parkland school shooter despite having been asleep in bed more than 1,500 miles away at the time of the attack; Lenny Pozner, who was targeted after his son was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre; Brianna Wu, who was singled out by #gamergate trolls; and James Alefantis, a pizza restaurant owner falsely accused of running a paedophile ring.

Also today: as part of the Guardian’s megacities series, Jamie Fullerton explores the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, and its famous gangs of roaming monkeys, a vivid example of what happens when expanding cities are forced to accommodate the nature around them.