Housing

Does a social-media video show a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "concentration camp" in Hawaii? No, this is not true: This video, according to a FEMA spokesperson, shows a project with which FEMA is not affiliated at all. The project built tiny homes for homeless and at-risk U.S. veterans. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook published…

Did Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announce in mid-August 2023 that the state will take ownership of Lahaina to convert it into "a smart city"? No, that's not true: The governor discussed a range of measures aimed at protecting housing security for local populations in response to people's concerns about displacement in the aftermath of wildfires. The claim appeared in a…

Are a person with dementia named "Jackson Simmons" and his dog "Cami" missing and has there been a silver alert issued for "Simmons"? No, that's not true: The story has been posted on social media as a part of a bait-and-switch scam. Such scams use fake information to encourage others to share the posts. Once the posts receive sufficient engagement,…

Is there a "secret stimulus" that provides $185,000 to U.S. homeowners? No, that's not true: The "benefit to homeowners" is just a marketing ploy to get home-owning online users to follow links and provide their personal information. Schemes like this are a common way to collect information about people that can be sold to companies that then provide pre-sifted lists…

Is it illegal for apartment tenants in Switzerland to flush their toilets after 10 p.m.? No, that's not true: Over the years, the urban myth has been debunked by several Swiss legal experts. The claim, which has appeared online since at least 2002, reappeared in a post on Facebook on July 6, 2023, by the account Scientify. The post, captioned…

Do social media posts about people "desperately trying to find the parents" of a lost "sweet girl" show a real-life call for help? No, that's not true: Entries with identical wording appeared in many places in the United States; as they gained traction, the content of those posts changed to promote dubious rent-to-own schemes and extract personal information. A sheriff's…

Is a "deadly Eastern diamond rattlesnake" actually being found in several locations across the United States that are not known as native habitats for these snakes? No, that's not true: Social media posts that make the claim are repurposing similarly worded posts to carry out a "bait and switch" scam. Social media accounts will make alarming, sensational posts that draw…

Does a bill passed by the Washington State Legislature allow the "government to take minor children away" from their parents if "they refuse to agree to gender transition surgery"? No, that's not true: The legislation has no provision for removing children from their parents if they don't agree to gender affirmation surgery. The statute deals specifically with children who have…

Does a man born in a specific town need help spreading a post about his search to find his birth mother who played the organ at a Nazarene church? No, that's not true: This false narrative is yet another instance of a spammer's ruse to trick people into sharing a post. After the post is shared it is typically edited…

Was lead paint banned from residential use in the United States because homes coated in lead paint could protect residents from radiation that someone wanted them to be exposed to? No, that's not true: Laws regulating lead paint, starting with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act in 1971 and followed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's final ban on lead-containing…