The daughter of a well-known Chinese geology academician has launched legal action against four people who claimed online that she tried to swindle them out of one million yuan.

Liu Feifei, whose father is Liu Jiaqi, a prominent member of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said she is suing the four Hubei residents after they published claims online about an alleged illicit business deal that went wrong.

Liu said she wants to clear her father's name and has reported the dispute about prospecting rights to Chaoyang police.