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.
1,802 fact-checks
Clear filters ×- ✕Hoax
AOL Update Billing Information Phishing Scam
The email is not from AOL. In fact, the message is a phishing scam designed to trick recipients into providing private financial and personal information to Internet criminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 30, 2010
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Remus Rudd Hanged Horse Thief Hoax
The claims in the message are false. Kevin Rudd has no such ancestor and no such “political spin” reply was ever sent. In fact, the message is just one more version of an old joke that has been used to target several public figures in the United States and…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 8, 2010
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Muslim Sign in Houston Mall Protest Message – The Martyrdom of Imam Ali
This sign was indeed posted on the door of a shop at Harwin Central Mall in Houston, Texas in September 2009. However, aside from the date, the sign has no relationship whatsoever with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 3, 2010
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Motorcycle Inside Volkswagen Accident Photographs
The core information in the message is true. The motorcycle fair display depicted in the photographs represents a real accident that occurred in Sweden in July 2003. However, the description of the accident in some later versions of the message is inaccurate.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jun 1, 2010
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Distracting Beach Babes Facebook Malware Attack
Facebook has been hit by a malware attack disguised as a video supposedly showing “Distracting Beach Babes”. The malware messages have been appearing on the Walls of many Facebook users.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 25, 2010
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Becoming a Father or Mother Facebook Group Pedophile Warning Hoax
This warning is meaningless. There is no Facebook group like the one described in the message. Several groups using the same or very similar names have been created, but only in response to this warning message.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 24, 2010
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FIFA 2010 World Cup Lottery Scam
The email is not from FIFA and the supposed lottery does not exist. The message is a scam designed to trick recipients into sending money and personal information to Internet criminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 17, 2010
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Letter Z To Be Removed from the Alphabet Hoax
The message began as an April Fool’s joke that has escaped its original context. There are no plans to remove the letter Z from the English alphabet and no such entity as the “English Language Central Commission”.
Hoax-Slayer · English · May 12, 2010
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GENUINE – Incredible Cave Village Photographs
The village is real and the photographs are genuine. However, the village is not located in Afghanistan as claimed in the message. In fact, the photographs show a village named Kandovan that is located in Iran.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 27, 2010
- ✓CredibleVerified
Flying 101 – Kulula Airlines Jet With ‘Instructional’ Livery Outline
The photographs are genuine and depict a real paint job on a real aircraft. As noted in the message, the 737 passenger jet belongs to Kulula, an airline operating out of South Africa. Kulula is known for its sense of humour and its amusing advertisements.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 31, 2010
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Google ‘Received Your Resume’ Malware Email
The email is not from Google and the attachment does not contain a job application. In fact, the attached file contains malware that can send further copies of itself to email addresses found on the infected computer, can download other malicious files from…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 16, 2010
- ✓CredibleVerified
Muslim Protest Photographs – Pictures From London
The photographs are genuine. The rally shown in the images took place in London on February 3, 2006 when some in the Muslim community gathered to protest against the publication of cartoons in the Danish press that were considered to be insulting to the…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 13, 2010
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Facebook Gold Account Hoaxes and Scams
There is no such thing as a Facebook Gold account. The Facebook Gold status updates are designed to fool people into joining one of many bogus Facebook groups.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Feb 22, 2010
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Automation Labs Facebook Privacy Warning Hoax
This warning is a hoax and should be ignored. Entering the search term ‘automation labs’ as described in the warning will indeed provide a list of Facebook users.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Feb 4, 2010
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What Is A Golf Ball Worth? – Alligator Takes Golfer’s Arm Photographs
The photographs are genuine but the description is not accurate. The images do not depict a golfer who was attacked while retrieving his ball.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jan 27, 2010
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False Rumours Claim That Facebook is About to Start Charging Users
For several months, rumours claiming that popular social networking website, Facebook, will shortly begin charging its users access fees have been vigorously circulating.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jan 27, 2010
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Facebook Friend Reported You Virus Warning
The warning was valid but is now outdated. The warning is based on a genuine security threat that targeted Facebook users in early 2009. At that time, a rogue Facebook application was sending bogus terms of service violation messages to Facebook users.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Jan 16, 2010
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Baby Girl Heart Transplant Message Forwarding Hoax
This message is a hoax. It is yet another variant in a long line of hoaxes that falsely claim money will be donated to help a sick child whenever the message is forwarded to others. All such claims are untrue.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Dec 29, 2009
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False Story Claims 450 Gaza Grooms Wed Girls Under Ten in Mass Muslim Marriage
False – Text and photographs blatantly misrepresent the true nature of the mass marriage. The little girls in the photographs are not the brides Messages like the example included above are currently circulating via email and have also been posted to a great…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Dec 5, 2009
- ✓CredibleVerified
Stopped The Train – Burning Train Bridge at Sharon Springs
This email forward describes a real incident and the photographs are genuine. According to the message, an overheated bearing on a loaded coal car melted, detaching a support rod to grind on the railway line beneath, releasing hot molten metal as it went.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Nov 7, 2009
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.