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What About That Photo of a Pig-Nosed Fish - Real or Fake?

Sat, 08 Mar 2014 15:37:05 +0000

Back for Another Bite

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 19:23:06 +0000

Once the scourge of Paul Bunyan's lumberjacks, the deadly snow snake has returned!

Chipotle '100% Free Food' Ad Is a Hoax / Scam

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 11:18:54 +0000

This viral ad promising "100% free food" at Chipotle restaurants through March 20 was not issued by Chipotle Mexican Grill, is not valid, and won't be honored at any Chipotle locations. A notice on the company's official Facebook page reads as follows:

There's no such thing as a free lunch - or burrito for that matter. The "repost, tag, and follow for FREE" offer that is floating around the interwebs is A HOAX. Not real. Not from Chipotle.

A March 4 company tweet said the ad is "100% fake. It's a fake offer from a scam account."

All signs indicate that the ad did, in fact, originate as a like-farming scam, of which there are myriad examples circulating every day via every social media platform.

Needless to say, it should not be reposted, shared, or liked.

Instant Debunk: Facebook 'No Swearing' Campaign

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:48:09 +0000

FACT: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg probably knows how to spell "campaign."

'Back to the Future' HUVr Board Is a Hoax. But You Knew That, Right?

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:10:36 +0000

No sooner had a hitherto unheard-of company named HUVr Tech posted a promo video for its new product, supposedly a functioning hoverboard as seen in Back to the Future II, than the crowdsourced debunkery began with folks pointing out that there's clear evidence that cables were used to give the illusion of flight, and in one shot you can even see the shadow of a crane rigging as a hoverboarder zooms by.

Now Mashable.com is reporting that the online resume of a costume designer who worked on the shoot lists Funny or Die as the production company behind the commercial.

We knew all along it was too good to be true. Right?

Will Smith Isn't Dead. Here's Why Someone Wants You to Think He Is.

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 21:03:32 +0000

Posts like this keep popping up all over Facebook:

But Will Smith isn't dead, nor is he currently filming Bad Boys III, nor is there a video showing how he (supposedly) died.

So, what's with the bogus posts? It's a scam. The posts are spreading because people are being suckered into attempting to view the nonexistent video. Then they're suckered into granting a rogue application permission to access their Facebook profile and post on their behalf. Basically, the bogus posts are reproducing themselves with users' help.

Think before you click!

Besides compromising the security of your Facebook account, these links may also download malicious software to your computer. If blurbs like these show up on your news feed, do not attempt to view the video and do not click "Allow" if the app asks permission to access your profile information.

If you've already done so and inadvertently installed the app, follow Facebook's instructions to remove it. And be more careful next time!

Learn more about rogue applications:
• Protect Your Facebook Account from Rogue Apps
• Best Practices for Rogue Facebook Applications

See more examples of rogue app scams:
• Vin Diesel Is Dead
• Jackie Chan Is Dead
• Eminem Stabbed 4 Times
• Miley Cyrus Commits Suicide
• Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) Dies
• Angelina Jolie Dies at 38

BiteLabs - Eat Celebrity Meat

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 00:11:17 +0000

Folks are asking whether a new company called BiteLabs is real.

This is their concept: "BiteLabs grows meat from celebrity tissue samples and uses it to make artisanal salami."

Oh, yeah. Totally real.

Did Somebody Invent a Home Kit to Test for Homosexuality? Uh, No.

Wed, 26 Feb 2014 15:42:57 +0000

As tweeted earlier today...

"Just like testing if you are pregnant, a home kit to test homosexuality is now available," reported Kenya's Standard Digital News today. "The kit, which can be used to tell whether one is homosexual or not can be used at home and comes with instructions on how to use it."

A similar story turned up on Nairobi News Online, which noted, "It has been made easier now for one to know at an early stage if one is straight or not."

Homosexuality is strongly frowned upon in Kenya, which has strict laws against homosexual behavior.

The news about a home test for homosexuality is more than a bit premature, however — or 17 years too late, depending on how you look at it. Today's reports are apparently based on a Nov. 11, 1997 feature in the satirical newspaper The Onion touting a fictitious product called "HomoSure."

There is no medical test for homosexuality. Given the inhumane uses to which it could be put, let's hope one is never invented.

You Have Been Warned: Facebook WILL Be Inaccessible Feb. 29-31!

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 16:15:15 +0000

Details inside...

No, a 7-Year-Old Named Eli Moreno DIDN'T Go Missing After Installing the 'Talking Angela' App

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:25:40 +0000

It's time for a reality check, Internet.

An article on the humor website Huzlers.com claiming that a 7-year-old child named Eli Moreno went missing after playing with the Talking Angela app on his mother's iPhone is pure fiction. Nothing of the kind happened. As stated in the disclaimer beneath the article, "Huzlers.com is a combination of real shocking news and satire news to keep its visitors in a state of disbelief." Elsewhere on the site it's claimed that McDonald's restaurants serve "human meat." This is not a reliable source.

The story is obviously a spoof on the ongoing hysteria surrounding Talking Angela, a popular smartphone app some have accused of having inappropriate interactions with children, including asking intimate questions and covertly taking photos of them. Most recently it has been suggested that Talking Angela is secretly operated by a pedophile ring, and there are even rumors to the effect that children have gone missing after using the app.

As I've noted previously, all of these claims are utter hogwash.

Learn more:
• Is Talking Angela App a Threat to Kids' Privacy and Safety?
• The Talking Angela Witch Hunt - What on Earth Is Going On?
• Talking Angela Developer: Facebook-Fueled Pedophile Hoax Is 'Ridiculous'
• Hoax Propels Game to No. 3 in App Store