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.
40 fact-checks
Clear filters ×- ✕Hoax
Boycottpetrolstations
The following chain letter was seen being distributed between British email addresses in 2008. See what you think and pass it on if you agree with it We are hitting 106.9 p a litre in some areas now, soon we will be faced with paying £1.10 a ltr.
Sophos · English · Jan 18, 2008
- ✕Hoax
Holocaustban
The following chain letter has been distributed around the internet. The email’s claims are incorrect and it should not be forwarded onto other computer users.
Sophos · English · Jan 8, 2008
- ✕Hoax
EvanTrembley
The following chain letter about a missing boy called Evan Trembley was first seen spreading across the internet in 2007. The email urges recipients to pass it on to their friends and colleagues.
Sophos · English · Sep 25, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Lifeinthe1500s
This chain letter has been widely distributed across the internet. The email encourages recipients to forward the message on to their friends and colleagues.
Sophos · English · Aug 23, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Bum_tnoo7Facebookhacker
The following hoax has been seen spreading across the internet, in particular on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace.
Sophos · English · Aug 20, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Heartattacksandwarmwater
The following chain letter has been distributed via email, and claims to offer advice about avoiding heart attacks. The email says that if it is forwarded to at least 10 people it will help save at least one life.
Sophos · English · Jul 20, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Angelsexist
The following chain letter has been distributed across the internet, asking users to forward it on to at least four other people. A typical example of the chain email reads as follows: Hey... Please put the exact time you read this. It is mystical--honest.
Sophos · English · Jun 18, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Gasprices
This chain letter urges people to boycott gasoline companies in an attempt to force the companies to reduce the price. The email urges recipients to forward the message to 30 other internet users.
Sophos · English · Jun 5, 2007
- ✕Hoax
IrishFriendshipWish
The following chain letter has been distributed across the internet. It is obviously nonsense, and its advice to forward the message onto friends is only likely to clog up email inboxes rather than grant wishes.
Sophos · English · Feb 28, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Illegalalienchainletter
The following chain letter began to be distributed across the internet in early 2007, asking people to sign a petition. Petitions distributed via internet email reveal individual’s personal details, and are unlikely to carry weight with the authorities.
Sophos · English · Feb 12, 2007
- ✕Hoax
DearMuslim
The following chain letter has been forwarded across the internet. Subject: DEAR MUSLIM - AND PASS IT ON IF YOU WISH! This is the most profound, most insightful message to Muslims I've seen I think it should be read on Fox, sent to the President, and…
Sophos · English · Jan 22, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Helpburnedbaby
This chain letter, which often includes a picture of a badly burnt baby, claims that simply by forwarding the message to others, an injured baby’s parents will receive three cents to pay for treatment.
Sophos · English · Dec 7, 2006
- ✕Hoax
Ifyoubelieve
A number of different chain letters have been distributed across the internet, asking people to say if they believed in God. The chain letter is a waste of time and bandwidth, and often include the email address of an innocent party.
Sophos · English · Mar 14, 2006
- ✕Hoax
Lipstick
The following chain letter has been widely distributed across the internet. Cancer Research UK has confirmed that it is not true. Users should simply delete the email, and not forward it onto their friends and colleagues.
Sophos · English · Mar 8, 2006
- ✕Hoax
AmyBruce
This chain letter has been spread around the internet since the late 1990s. The email is false, and the Make-A-Wish foundation has a longstanding policy of not participating in chain letter campaigns.
Sophos · English · Jan 10, 2006
- ✕Hoax
Champagnelovers
This chain letter has been spread across the internet. Of course, it is not true. The text of the chain letter reads as follows: FW: Champers Hello all Champagne lovers!
Sophos · English · Oct 27, 2005
- ✕Hoax
GiantMars
The following chain letter has distributed across the internet since 2003, and regularly resurfaces towards the end of the month of August.
Sophos · English · Aug 31, 2005
- ✕Hoax
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
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
- ✕Hoax
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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