The fact-check archive.
Thousands of dissected hoaxes in Indonesian and English: the claim, what the fact-checkers found, and the sources to verify it yourself.
1,773 fact-checks
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Phishing: ‘Credit Card Expired’ PayPal Email
According to this email, which claims to be from online payment service PayPal, your credit card has expired and you will need to update card details to continue using PayPal. The email instructs you to click a link to log in and update your information.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jul 4, 2014
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HOAX – ‘Men Claiming to be From Water Company Robbing Homes at Gunpoint’
The claims in the warning are untrue. The message is a mutated version of a fake warning that began circulating in Dubai back in 2012. Dubai police dismissed the warning as a baseless rumour. Sharing this false information will help nobody.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 3, 2014
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HOAX – ‘Semen Found on McDonald’s Burger’
The message is a hoax. No such incident occurred and it has not been confirmed by the Health Department as claimed. The warning is just a variant of a long running series of hoaxes that have falsely claimed that food at various eateries was contaminated with…
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 28, 2014
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‘Prayers for Likes’ Facebook Sick Baby Scam
The message is a disgraceful scam designed solely to accumulate likes for a Facebook Page and promote the Page further via shares. The baby’s picture was stolen from a personal Facebook profile and is being circulated without the permission of the baby’s…
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 20, 2014
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Unsold Car Stockpile Images
The report is misleading. Many of the images in the report are from 2009 and depict cars stockpiled due to dramatic falls in sales caused by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Since then, new car sales have rallied considerably.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 19, 2014
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Cliff Hanging House Image – ‘Crazy Master Bedroom’
The image does not show a real house but, rather, a conceptual design for a cliff-hugging home created using Photoshop and other digital manipulation software.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 15, 2014
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LIKE-FARMING SCAM – ‘Brad Duke’s 20 Million Dollar Giveaway Contest’
The Page is a scam and has no connection whatsoever with Brad Duke. Brad Duke really did win a very large lottery prize back in 2005, but he is not randomly giving away millions of dollars to people who like a Facebook Page.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 14, 2014
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Facebook Account Registration ‘Copy Code’ Scam Messages
The messages are scams and they are certainly not from Facebook. Entering the code as instructed can allow criminals to control the behaviour of your Facebook account without your knowledge.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 7, 2014
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‘Shovel Girl’ Miranda Fugate is NOT Dead
The claims in the report are false. ‘Shovel Girl’ is alive and reportedly enjoying her sudden fame. The viral video does depict an altercation in which Miranda was whacked solidly in the head with a shovel, but the girl did not sustain serious injuries.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 7, 2014
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SURVEY SCAM – ‘Teen Died Immediately’ Facebook Post
The message is a typical ‘shocking video’ survey scam. Thankfully, there is no video footage. The post is designed to trick users into promoting the scam on Facebook and participating in bogus online surveys and offers.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 5, 2014
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LIKE-FARMING SCAM – ‘Australian Cash and Prize Giveaways’ Facebook Page
The Page is a scam designed to accumulate likes under false pretences. There are no prizes. The ‘prize’ images included in the Page’s bogus posts are stolen from elsewhere and depict cash bundles seized in various police raids on drug dealers and other…
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 1, 2014
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Reports Claim Subway UK Removing Pork Products and Serving Halal Only Food
The claims are factual, although some of the media reports on the issue are typically sensationalist. In fact, Subway UK has had a programme in place since 2007 that considers population demographics when opening new stores.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 1, 2014
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FAKE – Image Showing Giant Cross Crashed Through Adult Store Roof
This story was first published on April 30, 2014
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 30, 2014
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BOGUS WARNING – ‘ White Van With Reg 7465 CGF Stealing Dogs’
The claims in the messages are untrue. News reports reveal that the van in the picture is one used to steal scrap metal and other junk in Norway back in 2012. There is no indication that the men driving the van were attempting to steal dogs.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 24, 2014
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Advance Fee Scam – ‘BBC Promo Email Award’
The email is not from the BBC and the recipient has not won the lottery as claimed. The message is an advance fee scam designed to trick recipients into sending their money and personal information to Internet criminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 22, 2014
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SCAM – ‘Mermaid Found Inside Shark Video’
The message is a survey scam. Users who click the link will first be told that they must share the video on Facebook before they can see it. After sharing, they will be redirected to a website that provides various suspect offers and surveys.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 14, 2014
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Facebook Limiting Posts Warning – ‘This is a Test’
The message does contain elements of truth. Facebook uses a very complex algorithm to filter the amount of material you see from your friends and Pages you have liked simply because there is so much material posted.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 11, 2014
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SCAM – ‘Devil’s Pool Fall Epic Selfie Video’
The message is a scam designed to trick people into creating accounts on a suspect video streaming website. The photograph of the man is genuine, but he did not fall as claimed and there is no video.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 10, 2014
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LIKE-FARMING SCAM – ‘Wife Pregnant for 13 Months Needs Prayers’
The claims in the message are outright lies. The photograph depicts a woman in a Haiti hospital maternity ward and was taken in March 2009.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 8, 2014
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iTunes Purchase Receipt Phishing Scam
The email is not from iTunes and the listed order details are fake. Those panicked into clicking the link will be taken to a bogus website that asks them to supply personal and financial information.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 7, 2014
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.