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.
1,732 fact-checks
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AFP ‘Traffic Infringement Notice’ Ransomware Email
According to this email, which purports to be from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), you have been issued with a traffic infringement and must pay a fine within 14 days. The email contains a link that supposedly allows you to view your infringement notice.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 29, 2015
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Scam Facebook Page – ‘Facebook International Lottery Program’
The Facebook Page shown in the example below is part of a scheme designed to trick you into sending money and personal information to cybercriminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 24, 2015
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'Baby Born With Heart Outside Body' Sick Baby Hoax
According to a post that has been circulating on Facebook for several years, you can help a baby born with his heart outside his body just by sharing his image.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 22, 2015
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‘New Unknown Species’ Facebook Video Survey Scam
The post is a scam designed to trick you into submitting your personal information on dodgy survey websites. The picture depicting the supposed ‘unknown species’ actually shows a sculpture by artist Patricia Piccinini.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 17, 2015
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Microsoft Easter Promotion Lottery Scam
According to this message, your email address has emerged as a winner of the Microsoft Easter Promotion and you have therefore been awarded a cash prize of £950,000.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 16, 2015
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Fake Vodafone Bill Emails Contain Malware
Inboxes are currently being hammered by ‘bill’ emails purporting to be from mobile phone service provider Vodafone. The brief messages, which are signed by ‘Your Vodafone Team’, contain an invoice number and issue date for a current bill and ask that you pay…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 15, 2015
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Did a Total Stranger REALLY Leave You $17 Million in His Will?
Alas, the answer to the question posed in the title is an emphatic ‘NO’. If you’ve been using the Internet for any length of time, chances are you’ve received emails pretty similar to the example I’ve included below.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 15, 2015
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Facebook ‘Shocking Video’ Scam – ‘Something Moving Inside Her Gums’
The message is a typical ‘shocking video’ scam and is designed to trick users into installing rogue Facebook Apps, visiting dodgy survey pages, and downloading fake plugins that harbour malware. The case referenced in the video is real.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 9, 2015
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Chase Credit Card ‘Thank-You For Scheduling Payment’ Malware Email
Although it is designed to look like an authentic banking notification, the email is not from Chase. The attached.zip file harbours a trojan that can connect to remote servers operated by cybercriminals and download and install further malware.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 8, 2015
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Facebook Like-Farming Scam – 100 MacBook Laptop Giveaway
The Page is fraudulent and it is not giving away MacBook laptops as claimed. It is a scam designed to accumulate as many likes as possible in the shortest possible time.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 8, 2015
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Tanner Dwyer Friend Request Hacker Hoax
The claims in the message are nonsense. Even the cleverest “hacker” cannot access your computer just because you accepted a friend request. A name cannot hack your computer.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 1, 2015
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Virgin Media ‘Urgent Billing Update’ Phishing Scam
According to this email, which purports to be from Virgin Media, you have been set up to receive bills from the company online. Supposedly, the company is upgrading to a new and improved payment system and you must therefore urgently upgrade your billing…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 31, 2015
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[VIDEO] 300 iPhones Giveaway Like-Farming Scam
As per usual, Facebook like-farmers continue to trick people into liking and sharing by offering the chance to win expensive prizes that do not exist.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 30, 2015
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‘My Resume’ Malware Emails
Sometimes, the simplest criminal ruses are the most effective. One current malware campaign attempts to trick you into infecting your computer by opening what you believe is a simple resume.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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[Video] Bogus “Court Notice”; Malware Emails Continue
Criminals continue to use bogus “Notice to Appear in Court” emails to distribute malware. There are many variations of these malware messages. Some, such as the example quoted below, claim to be from a court official.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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PayPal ‘Payment Reversal’ Phishing Scam
According to the subject line of this email, which purports to be from PayPal, the company is investigating a payment reversal involving Apple.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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Yet Another Dying Widow Advance Fee Scam
I’ve now been writing about scams and hoaxes for around 12 years. I have an archive containing thousands of advance fee scam emails. A goodly portion of them are very similar to the “dying widow” scam I’ve quoted below.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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Slack Reports Data Breach
Team collaboration platform Slack has reported a March 2015 security incident in which hackers gained unauthorized access to user profiles.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 28, 2015
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Facebook ‘Your Account Will Be Disabled’ Phishing Scam
The message is not from Facebook. It is a phishing scam designed to steal your Facebook login details, your credit card details, and your PayPal account login information. If one of these messages comes your way, do not click any links that it contains.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 28, 2015
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American Express ‘Unusual Activity’ Phishing Scam
According to this email, unusual activity on your American Express account has raised security concerns and you need to click a link to login and secure your account. However, the email is certainly not from AmEx.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 27, 2015
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.