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Bait &Amp; Switch

  • Fact Check: Posts About Suspects 'Kelvin Buckland' And 'Malena Renae Mason' Being On The Run In May 2025 Are NOT Authentic Warnings

    Fact Check

    Do posts about suspects "Kelvin Buckland" and "Malena Renae Mason" being on the run offer a genuine warning for the members of various local communities? No, that's not true: Such posts were later flipped to promote rental deals. If people click the links promoted in the new versions of the posts, a series of web pages aim to trick social…

    • May 8, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Posts About Suspects 'Kelvin Buckland' And 'Malena Renae Mason' Being On The Run In May 2025 Are NOT Authentic Warnings Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Joselyn Valdo Santos Is NOT A Suspect In The Death of 7-Month-Old Charlotte Jones -- It's A Scam Post

    Fact Check

    Are homicide detectives searching for Joselyn Valdo Santos for the killing of three-month-old Charlotte Jones on April 1, 2025? No, that's not true: Social media posts making the claim are part of a bait-and-switch scam designed to lure you into sharing personal information that can then be sold or used to scam you further. These posts use unrelated mugshots and…

    • Apr 14, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
    Fact Check: Joselyn Valdo Santos Is NOT A Suspect In The Death of 7-Month-Old Charlotte Jones -- It's A Scam Post Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Posts About Police Searching For 'Jamie Hodges' And 'Kaitlyn Moore' After Infant's Death Were NOT Authentic Warnings

    Fact Check

    Did viral posts spread an authentic warning about two suspects at large in connection with "the death of 10-month-old baby girl Diana Tyler" in March 2025? No, that's not true: Those posts were an example of the bait-and-switch scam. Their contents were later replaced with unrelated text trying to trick people into following a link and sharing their personal information.…

    • Apr 4, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Posts About Police Searching For 'Jamie Hodges' And 'Kaitlyn Moore' After Infant's Death Were NOT Authentic Warnings Bait&Switch
  • Fact Check: Posts About a 'Heavily Stabbed' Woman Found In An Audi A7 Are SCAMS

    Fact Check

    Did a series of Facebook posts in late March and early April 2025 offer genuine concern over an unidentified woman supposedly found "heavily stabbed" in a black Audi A7, in various locations in the United States? No, that's not true: Such posts were examples of a known "bait-and-switch" scam, which garnered well-meaning shares of the original post before flipping its…

    • Apr 4, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: Posts About a 'Heavily Stabbed' Woman Found In An Audi A7 Are SCAMS Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Posts Do NOT Offer Genuine Concern About A 3-Year-Old Boy Found In The Bronx

    Fact Check

    Do posts about a "young boy, around 3 years old," found in The Bronx express authentic concern about the child said to have been found unattended "an hour ago"? No, that's not true: The content of these posts was later replaced with real estate images and obscure links. This is a common tactic to trick people into disclosing sensitive personal…

    • Apr 3, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Posts Do NOT Offer Genuine Concern About A 3-Year-Old Boy Found In The Bronx Bait&Switch
  • Fact Check: Posts About Baby Boy 'Found Abandoned By The Roadside Roughly An Hour Ago' Are A Scam

    Fact Check

    Are Facebook posts reporting a baby boy was found "abandoned by the roadside roughly an hour ago" in March and April 2025 genuine? No, that's not true: The posts are part of a bait-and-switch scam designed to lure social media users into sharing content that then flips into an unrelated page to boost dubious real estate and marketing promotions. The…

    • Apr 3, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
    Fact Check: Posts About Baby Boy 'Found Abandoned By The Roadside Roughly An Hour Ago' Are A Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Posts About 'Missing Police Officer' Katie Cunningham Are SCAMS

    Fact Check

    Did a series of Facebook posts in late March and early April 2025 offer genuine concern over Katie Cunningham, a police officer supposedly missing from various locations in the United States? No, that's not true: Such posts were examples of a known "bait-and-switch" scam, which garnered well-meaning shares of the original post before flipping its content to boost dubious real…

    • Apr 2, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: Posts About 'Missing Police Officer' Katie Cunningham Are SCAMS Bait n' Switch
  • Fact Check: Posts About 'Missing Daughter' Blasia Lackey Are SCAMS

    Fact Check

    Did a series of Facebook posts in late March 2025 offer genuine concern over Blasia Lackey, a teenager supposedly missing from various locations in the United States? No, that's not true: Such posts were examples of a known "bait-and-switch" scam, which garnered well-meaning shares of the original post before flipping its content to boost dubious real estate and marketing promotions.…

    • Mar 31, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: Posts About 'Missing Daughter' Blasia Lackey Are SCAMS Bait n' Switch
  • Fact Check: FAKE Facebook Warning Says 'Justin Scott' and 'Carla Howell' Are Fugitive Suspects In Death Of Baby 'Emily Darnell' -- Part Of Scam

    Fact Check

    Does a Facebook post alert users to an authentic "Homicide Bureau" fugitive case identifying 'Justin Scott' and 'Carla Howell' as suspects in the death of a 10-month-old named 'Emily Darnell'? No, that's not true: Facebook posts calling on readers to be on the lookout for violent fugitives are part of a common social media scam that tricks people into liking…

    • Mar 27, 2025
    • by: Dean Miller
    Fact Check: FAKE Facebook Warning Says 'Justin Scott' and 'Carla Howell' Are Fugitive Suspects In Death Of Baby 'Emily Darnell' -- Part Of Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: 'Homicide Suspects On The Run' Posts Naming 'Seth Chancey' And 'Madison Smith' Are Bait & Switch Scams

    Fact Check

    Are two homicide suspects named Seth Chancey and Madison Smith on the run for the killing of 10-month-old Derrick Taylor as of March 24, 2025? No, that's not true: The posts are fake, part of a bait-and-switch scam aimed at luring social media users to ad posts designed to harvest personal and financial information. These posts use mugshots taken from…

    • Mar 24, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
    Fact Check: 'Homicide Suspects On The Run' Posts Naming 'Seth Chancey' And 'Madison Smith' Are Bait & Switch Scams Bait & Switch
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EFCSN International Fact-Checking Organization

Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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    Fact Check: Clickbait Robert Plant Story About Texas Flood Donation Illustrated With AI-Generated Photo -- Contradictory Details

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    • Jul 14, 2025
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    Fact Check: AI Photos Of Father Ben With Down Syndrome And Son Noah Are NOT Real -- Clickbait

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    • Jul 16, 2025
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  • Fact Check: Jane Doe V. Donald J. Trump And Jeffrey E. Epstein Lawsuit Filing Is NOT Proof Trump Is A Rapist No Legal Proof

    Fact Check: Jane Doe V. Donald J. Trump And Jeffrey E. Epstein Lawsuit Filing Is NOT Proof Trump Is A Rapist

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    • Aug 14, 2020
    • by: Alan Duke
  • Fact Check: FAKE 'Sheriff Larry Leda Applying For Green Card For Mexican Rescue Team' Video Misspells Name -- No Media Reports Not Reported

    Fact Check: FAKE 'Sheriff Larry Leda Applying For Green Card For Mexican Rescue Team' Video Misspells Name -- No Media Reports

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    • Jul 18, 2025
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    Fact Check: Video Claimed To Show Woman Arrested For Growing Lettuce Is NOT Authentic Police Bodycam Footage

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    • Jul 18, 2025
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    Fact Check: Viral Image Is NOT Trump Drawing For Jeffrey Epstein Described By WSJ -- Artist's Recreation

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    • Jul 18, 2025
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    Fact Check: Inconsistent Story About Found Missing Hikers Sarah Bennett And Andrew Miller -- Fake Images, Bogus Newspaper Quote

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    • Jul 18, 2025
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    Fact Check: FAKE Statement From Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Laments How 'Private Moment Became Public' at Coldplay Concert

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    • Jul 18, 2025
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    • Jul 17, 2025
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    Fact Check: Photo Of Trump Kissing Elite Model Look Participant Is NOT Authentic

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    • Jul 17, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko

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Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
Spotted something? Let us know!.

Lead Stories is a:

  • Verified signatory of the IFCN Code of Principles
  • Verified EFCSN member
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