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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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by Candle Email Warning
This warning email claims that a person named “Charlene” died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of burning candles in an air-conditioned room. Unfortunately, like most emails of this nature, it does not provide any checkable details.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Aug 25, 2004
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McDonald’s Ball Pit Death Hoax
This message is a hoax that has been circulating for more than a decade. There are no credible reports whatsoever that confirm that a child named Kevin Archer died after being pricked by a heroin filled hypodermic needle in a McDonald’s ball pit.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Aug 12, 2004
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Etherperfume
This chain letter appears to be related to the Poison Perfume chain letter. The text of the chain letter reads as follows: PLEASE READ It was about 3 weeks ago, I was at the Shell station getting diesel. It was about 11:30pm.
Sophos · English · Jun 22, 2004
- ✕Hoax
First Name Chain Letter
These emails are just pointless, bandwidth wasting chain letters. They simply ask you to add your first name to the email before passing them on. Often, the messages claim to be a “survey” started by a teacher are part of an educational project.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 14, 2004
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First Name Chain Letter
These emails are just pointless, bandwidth wasting chain letters. They simply ask you to add your first name to the email before passing them on. Often, the messages claim to be a “survey” started by a teacher are part of an educational project.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 14, 2004
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JusticeforJamie
The following chain letter refers to a genuine crime, and has been circulating since 2001. In January 2001 the UK courts decided to grant the murderers anonymity for the rest of their lives.
Sophos · English · Mar 3, 2004
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Rachel Arlington Charity Hoax
The message is a hoax. AOL will not donate money just for forwarding an email. Any message that claims that money will be donated in exchange for forwarding an email is certain to be a hoax.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Feb 12, 2004
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Luck In Love Email Chain Letter
This rather threatening chain letter warns of death for those who don’t pass it on and even provides example cases. Considering the number of times I’ve deleted this and similar email chain letters, I’m surprised I’m still kicking.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Dec 20, 2003
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Amazon Rainforest Email Petition
This email asks recipients to “sign” and forward the message to help stop deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest The “project” mentioned in this email petition was shelved by the Brazilian government back in May 2000.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 13, 2003
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Crying Baby Serial Killer Hoax
The claims in the “warning” are untrue. It was not aired on Crime Stoppers or America’s Most Wanted as claimed in the message. In fact, the message is a long running hoax that first surfaced in 2003.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 12, 2003
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Donotpush90#
This chain letter has spread widely across the internet. It is based, in part, upon what appears to be a genuine scam from the early 1990s – but even then it only worked in the United States on some types of telephone exchanges that had been configured in a…
Sophos · English · Oct 8, 2003
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British Airways Giveaway Hoax
This old hoax message promises free air travel in exchange for forwarding emails. British Airways is NOT running any such media campaign. Nor has it ever done so.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Sep 14, 2003
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Nine Zero Hash Phone Scam Warnings are Misleading and Outdated
The information in the message is false for the great majority of domestic fixed phone systems and all mobile phones. It can be true for certain types of business phone systems that are configured in a particular way. (Scroll down for details).
Hoax-Slayer · English · Aug 22, 2003
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Freeflight
This chain letter is similar to other chain letters such as Nokia giveaway. It is clearly nonsense and should not be forwarded to other computer users. Subject: FREE flight I thought this was bollocks, but they got back to me within a week!!!!!!!!
Sophos · English · Jun 18, 2003
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030303
The following email began to be spread in the latter days of February 2003, reporting that the internet would stop on Monday 3 March, 2003.
Sophos · English · Feb 28, 2003
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Bonemarrowdonor
The following chain letter has been distributed in German. It describes how a person called Julia Schmidt is searching for a bone marrow donor. However, the telephone number and contact details are faked, and the plea for a donor is false.
Sophos · English · Sep 18, 2002
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Internetcleaning
The following chain letter has been seen by some users. It appears the chain letter was started as an April Fool’s joke, however some people may believe it to be factual. Sophos recommends you do not pass this chain letter onto your friends and colleagues.
Sophos · English · Sep 2, 2002
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Expensivephonecall
The following chain letter has been distributed in the United Kingdom. The situation described is fictional and is not occurring because premium rate phone numbers are not allowed to charge such a high amount by Oftel.
Sophos · English · Aug 28, 2002
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ApplebeesGiftCertificate
This chain letter has been spread across the internet. Of course, it is not true and the offer does not exist. The text of the chain letter is as follows: Subject: Subject: Gift Certificate from Applebees Text of the letter: My name is Bill Palmer, founder of…
Sophos · English · Jun 28, 2002
- ✕Hoax
Bonsaikitten
The following chain letter has been distributed around the internet, protesting against a website where it is suggested cats are being maltreated. In fact, the website is a joke (albeit one which some may find tasteless).
Sophos · English · Jun 7, 2002
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.