MONTREAL — Police are probing the online musings of a Montreal man after receiving a deluge of complaints from around the world.

Montreal police have received so many complaints about alleged threats from the man that they are urging people to stop emailing and let them do their investigative work.

In the past few days, more than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling on police to investigate reports of death threats against atheists and secular scientists. Each signature resulted in an email to police.

Some people allegedly being threatened say the Montrealer, who goes by the online moniker "David Mabus," has been at it for nearly 20 years.

Police say they are investigating threats primarily made using Twitter.

Kyle VanderBeek, a San Francisco man who started the petition, says the threats are disconcerting and he wanted to act now instead of waiting for things to escalate.

VanderBeek says while testy exchanges are common online, alleged threats of decapitations, executions and genocide are not.

Montreal police have posted through their own Twitter account, assuring people they were investigating and asking them to stop bombarding police with messages.