Great White Shark Caught in Great Lakes-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
It’s been reported that a 3,000 pound great white shark has been caught in Lake Michigan.
The Truth:
A fake news website is behind this tall tale.
The story appeared on the fake news website Not Allowed To under the headline, “3,000-Pound Great White Shark Captured in Great Lakes.” The story, which was quickly shared nearly 20,000 times on social media, begins:
Waukegan, IL | The capture of a huge 3,000-pound great white shark in Lake Michigan yesterday could explain the disappearance of missing people in the area in the last decade, has confirmed the U.S. Coast Guard this morning.
Canadian tourist, John O’Keef and his friend from Chicago, Allan Brooks captured the 3,000-pound beast while fishing for sturgeon in Michigan Lake.
“We reeled in the beast for a good 4-5 hours before my friend Allan finally shot it with a rifle and wounded it to the head” explains O’Keef.
Taken out of context, many readers were tricked into believing that the report was true — but that’s not the case.
Not Allowed To publishes “original and unique articles” that are submitted by its community of readers/contributors. It’s important to note that “accurate” is not listed in the criteria.