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.
1,939 fact-checks
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SCAM – ‘Bob Erb Email Donation Project’
Bob Erb really did win a large lottery prize and has indeed given away millions of dollars to charities as well as family, friends and even strangers. However, he did not send this email.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Dec 2, 2014
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Fake Costco Order Notification Leads to Malware
The email is not from Costco. Clicking the link opens a website that contains malware. Once installed, this malware may collect personal information from your computer and connect with servers operated by criminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 28, 2014
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How Mainstream Media and Public Officials can Fuel Urban Legends
In September 2014, I wrote an article debunking a circulating warning that described a criminal tactic in which c hemical-laced 100 dollar bills were supposedly being left on car door handles.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 22, 2014
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Fake Report Claims Man in India is 179 Years Old
Not surprisingly, the claims in the report are nonsense. The story has been published by various pseudo-news outlets that specialize in churning out spurious nonsense.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 20, 2014
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PHISHING SCAM – ‘Receipt For Payment to Apple Store’
The email is not from PayPal. It is a phishing scam designed to trick you into giving your PayPal account login details and credit card information to criminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 19, 2014
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No, a Man’s Genitals Were NOT Stolen in Thailand For Sale on the Black Market
The claims in the report are nonsense. No such incident occurred. The story comes from the fake-news website World News Daily Report, which claims to be satirical. All stories published on the site are fiction and should not be taken seriously.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 18, 2014
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Scam Email Pretends to be From Lottery Winners Bill And Andrea Groner
The email is a scam designed to trick you into sending money and personal information to Internet criminals. Bill and Andrea Groner are real people and they did win a large lottery prize.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 15, 2014
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HOAX – ‘Buzz Aldrin Admits Moon Landings Were Fake’
The claims in the report are untrue. Buzz Aldrin has made no such confession. The story comes from the fake-news ‘satire’ website Huzlers. Nothing published on Huzlers should be taken seriously.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 10, 2014
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PHISHING – ‘Your Account is Temporarily Locked’ Facebook Email
According to this email, which appears to be an official Facebook notification, your account has been temporarily locked. The email explains that Facebook is trying to ensure that everyone on Facebook is using their real identity and the company therefore…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 10, 2014
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Don't Worry! Beanie Babies are NOT Hatching Spiders
At first glance, this circulating story and its featured picture may chill the hearts of the spider-challenged everywhere. But, relax, it is just a humour piece from the satirical website ClickHole.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 7, 2014
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‘Upgrade Your Credit Card’ Facebook Phishing Scam
The message is a scam designed to steal credit card details from unsuspecting users. In fact, this scam attempt is so obvious and crudely rendered that it is actually rather entertaining.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 7, 2014
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HOAX – ‘Death Row Inmate Requests Child as Last Meal’
The claims in the story are utter nonsense. No such request has been made. Nor, of course, would Department of Corrections ever honour such a request. The photograph in the report shows a person arrested on another charge.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 31, 2014
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PHISHING SCAM – ‘Request to Terminate Microsoft Account’
The email is not from Microsoft. It is a phishing scam designed to steal your Microsoft Account login details. Clicking the ‘cancel request’ link opens a fake login box designed to look like a genuine Microsoft login page.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 28, 2014
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FAKE-NEWS: ‘Professor Hinkley From Gilligan’s Island is Zodiac Killer’
The claims in the report are nonsense. Russell Johnson has certainly not been identified as the Zodiac Killer. The report comes from the fake-news, ‘satirical’ website Empire News. Nothing published on Empire News should be taken seriously.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 27, 2014
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HOAX – ‘NASA Confirms 6 Days of Total Darkness’
The claims in the report are fanciful nonsense. NASA certainly has not confirmed the supposed 6 days of darkness. No such event will occur. The story is perpetrated via various fake-news ‘satirical’ websites including The Racket Report and Huzlers.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 27, 2014
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SATIRE – ‘Harper Changes Canadian Flag’
The report is fiction. Prime Minister Harper has not announced any changes to the flag. The story comes from the Canadian satire website The Lapine. The stories on the site are designed to poke fun at people, events, and trends.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 24, 2014
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SURVEY SCAM – ‘See Who Watched Your Profile’
The post is a scam that attempts to trick you into spamming your friends and providing your personal information via dodgy online surveys. You will NOT get to see who watched your profile no matter how many surveys you complete.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 13, 2014
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Salt Water Ebola Prevention Hoax Leads to Deaths
A social media hoax, which falsely claimed that drinking or bathing in salt water could prevent infection from the deadly Ebola virus, has reportedly led to at least two deaths.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 9, 2014
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Hoax Claims Jenni Rivera Faked Own Death
The claims in the report are false. Sadly, Jenni Rivera did indeed die in a December 2012 plane crash. Despite circulating rumours, there are no credible reports that support claims that Rivera is alive.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 8, 2014
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FAKE-NEWS: ‘Prehistoric Shark Captured off Pakistan’
The claims in the report are nonsense. No giant prehistoric shark has been caught off Pakistan, or anywhere else. The photograph depicts a very large but otherwise normal Great White Shark caught off the coast of South Africa in 2009.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 3, 2014
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.