Saturday 13th October 2012 by Michael Baggs | Photos by Justin Bieber / Twitter

Tags: Justin Bieber

Recent reports of Justin Bieber being the victim of theft, losing his laptop, phone and personal photos and video, have been revealed as a PR plot to promote his new single.

Earlier this week it was reported that thieves had stolen personal items from Bieber - with the Canadian star speaking openly on Twitter of the theft. A fake Twitter account was set up sending threats to Bieber, claiming to have personal footage of the star and teasing the singer with promises to leak the content.

"Good job with the password protected. Weak. I’m looking at the rest now. All of it," tweeted fake Twitter user @Gexwy. "Gonna show the world. Tomorrow! At noon."

Now, it has been revealed as a stunt to promote his new single, a duet with Nicki Minaj.

A genuine 'private photo' as posted on Twitter by Bieber himself

Bieber claims the stunt was to hit back at people who had faked stories about him - such as rumoured sex tapes, supposedly fathering a child with a fan and taking drugs.

"Since I was 14, I have had a lot of things said about me, from dying, to stuff about my family to saying I had a baby with a woman I never even met," said Bieber following the video premiere of 'Beauty And A Beat'. "Nude pics, drugs, my family, my character … but today … today I get to be in on it."

The track has already been watched on YouTube nearly five million times. The video appears to show 'stolen footage' - but is simply yet another advertising heavy pop clip.

Photos were circulated online earlier this week which appeared to show the star naked - although were widely though to have been faked.

Watch 'Beauty And A Beat' below.

Photos: music stars who have shared their own naked pics