engagement bait

Scams and Hoax Accounts Proliferate on Instagram

April 2019 saw the culmination of a months-long popular uprising in the country of Sudan, when its former president Omar al-Bashir stepped down from his post. The Sudanese military quickly took control of the country in what it called a transitional phase. In the weeks following al-Bashir’s ouster, however, clashes became both deadlier and more …

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shoe_gray_green_pink_white_left_right_brain

Do the Colors You See in a Photograph Reveal Left or Right Brain Dominance?

On May 3 2019, @CNYcentral shared the following tweet featuring a photograph of a shoe with a claim that the colors in which it appeared to render revealed whether a reader is either “left-brained” or “right-brained”: In the tweet @CNYcentral claimed  that if “the right-half of your brain is dominant, you will see a combination …

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santorini_holidays_facebook_scam

Santorini Holidays Facebook Giveaway Scam

Over a quarter of a million Facebook users have shared a purported giveaway shared by the page “Santorini Holidays” (archived here) in April 2019. A featured album of (admittedly beautiful) pictures is captioned as follows: We’re going to celebrate our Grand Opening by doing something special for you. We’re going to be rewarding someone who …

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grandma_100_engagement_bait

Does This Grandma Want You to Share Her Photo to Mark Her 100th Birthday?

On January 7, 2019, the Facebook page “Animals & Nature” shared a seemingly wholesome plea on the part of the purported poster’s 100-year-old grandma: Alongside the purported centenarian’s image, a caption pleaded: Today’s is my Grandma’s 100th Birthday. She requested me to post her pic on Internet to get some good wishes. [heart emoji, angel …

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