Delusion of reference is terrifying because it's plausible that you're experiencing something real and not a psychological phenomenon. If you're anxious because you feel like everyone is looking at you, it's possible that they really are all looking at you. This symptom in particular is terrible because there's no way to know if you're experiencing a delusion or reality.
Delusion of persecution is similarly frightening. Although it's not possible to know their intentions, it is possible that all of those intentions are hostile towards one person.
The potential for abuse, such as group gas lighting, is very high. I'm certain evil pranks have been performed by grade school children to make a victim doubt their own perceptions. It goes without saying that well-funded, well-organized groups at national scale have done this.
tl;dr it wasn't real. No one knows who made it. The headline is clickbait and Snopes is making advertising revenue when you click on it.