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.
8,224 fact-checks
Clear filters ×- ✕Hoax
Shark’s Love for Man Hoax
The claims in the message are untrue. The story was published several years ago in a French magazine as an April Fools joke.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jan 30, 2008
- ✕Hoax
Shark's Love for Man Hoax
The claims in the message are untrue. The story was published several years ago in a French magazine as an April Fools joke.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jan 30, 2008
- ✕Hoax
Federal Reserve Bank ‘Phishing Attack Warning’ Scam Emails
Bogus emails purporting to be from the Federal Reserve Bank began hitting inboxes in January 2009. The emails claim that a number of banks and credit unions have been affected by a “large-scaled phishing attack”, prompting the FDIC and the U.S.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jan 28, 2008
- ✕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
Federal Trade Commission Complaint Scam
In October 2007, scam emails purporting to be from the Federal Trade Commission began hitting inboxes. The bogus messages claimed that a complaint has been filed against the recipient.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Oct 31, 2007
- ✕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
Shark Behind Scuba Divers Photo Hoax
This story was first published on August 30, 2007
Hoax-Slayer · English · Aug 30, 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
Giant Skeleton Hoax
Messages with attached images supposedly depicting the skeletal remains of gigantic humans claim that the skeletons were unearthed in the Arabian or Indian deserts. Subject: [Fwd: Interesting discovery] FYI.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Aug 14, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Giant Skeleton Hoax
This classic leg-pull has now been circulating via email, blogs and forums for several years and has even been published by some news outlets as factual.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Aug 14, 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
Olive Garden Syphilis Hoax
Email claims that a girl developed Syphilis in her mouth after eating semen-contaminated food at an Olive Garden restaurant in West Des Moines, Iowa. Subject: Fw: This is really gross!!!
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jul 20, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Olive Garden Syphilis Hoax
This email forward tell the sickening tale of a woman who developed Syphilis in her mouth after eating food that had been deliberately contaminated with “three different types of semen”.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jul 20, 2007
- ✕Hoax
Heroin Needles and Snakes in Ball Pits – HIV Needles on Gas-Pump Handles
This email forward combines three widely circulated messages into one. Firstly, it claims that a child died of a heroin overdose after being pricked by a heroin filled hypodermic needle in a McDonald’s ball pit.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jul 5, 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
Misleading and Inaccurate – Strawberry Quick Methamphetamine Warning
While these warnings contain some elements of truth, they are also highly exaggerated and inaccurate. The claims in these misleading messages should not be taken seriously.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 16, 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
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.