Avoid That ‘Popcorn in Muffin Tin’ Hack Which ‘Breaks the Internet’
Not all “fake news” is political, and Facebook rewards engagement-baiting pages with promotion on its Facebook Watch platform whether or not they are factually accurate.
scams
‘The Crayons DYED Her Hair’
An obviously fake video spread virally on Facebook Watch with a prank demonstration of how crayons “dyed” a person’s hair.
Is Elon Musk ‘Giving Away Bitcoins and Etherium’ on Twitter?
A real journalist’s account was hacked and used to promote a phishing scheme.
‘Don’t Abbreviate 2020’ Warning
A meme that warns people not to abbreviate “2020” is being regurgitated by police and framed as a “legal warning.” Sounds like an urban legend to us.
Avoid #GivingTuesday Scams
“Giving Tuesday” follows “Cyber Monday,” but some companies are just lining their pockets; here are the facts.
Bogus ‘Energy Saver’ Boxes Continue Targeting Online Shoppers
Devices matching “Ökowatt” have been exposed as frauds as far back as 2011.
Does McKamey Manor Award $20,000 to Successful ‘Extreme Haunted/Horror House’ Attendees?
Numerous news organizations repeated unverified claims about a grand prize at a “haunted house” that its critics refer to as nothing more than a torture facility.
Can You Grow ‘Tiffany Blue Roses’ from Seeds?
On May 5 2019, the Facebook page “Crafty Morning” shared a photograph of and affiliate link to purported “Tiffany Blue” roses (archived here), urging page fans to click through and purchase seeds to grow the stunning flowers: The post was captioned “Have you ever seen a Tiffany Blue Rose? ????” and it was shared more than …
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 …
Facebook Hoax: Tyler Perry Is Giving Away $750,000-Fiction!
False claims that Tyler Perry is giving away $750,000 spread on social media in June 2018.