Scam

Does a video show Indian people dumping plastic waste into a river? No, that's not true: The video does not show garbage dumping but the final religious ritual of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Ganesh Visarjan, where idols made for this purpose are immersed in water. The environmental impact of the festival can vary depending on what the statues and decorations…

Did the BBC report that Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska was spotted wearing a pendant stolen from France's Lalique Museum? No, that's not true: The BBC denied ever publishing such a report. The video was doctored to digitally add the jewelry item to Zelenska's neck. The claim appeared in a post (archived here and here) published on X by @its_The_Dr…

Have you seen viral videos showing Sandra Bullock asking for personal information of followers? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such videos recently and has found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. They do not show the real Sandra Bullock or real situations. They seek private or personal information in order to scam people. This article…

Is a video that shows Joe Rogan saying he is considering refusing to commentate the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight at the White House legitimate? No, that's not true: The video was labeled "Contains AI-generated media." Rogan did criticize the event on his podcast, saying he does not like the idea of fighting outside, but he did not say he…

Did the family of three sisters who drowned in Brighton, England, in May 2026 previously run a GoFundMe campaign for their mother, whose body was never found? No, that's not true: The body of the mom, Janice Adetoro, was recovered from a lake in Birmingham, England, in early February 2010. There is no evidence that a GoFundMe was ever started,…

Was Bruce Springsteen's summer tour canceled over his politics and lack of ticket sales? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a satirical Facebook page run by Christopher Blair, a self-described liberal with a documented history of creating fake content to trick conservatives into sharing it. The disclaimer from the account says "nothing on this page is real" and…

Does an actual Truth Social post by President Donald Trump threaten to use weapons of mass destruction against Iran? No, that's not true: Even though a viral image claims to show one, there is no such post on his Truth Social account. There are also no news reports of such a threat coming from the White House, which, if it…

Are the stories of Helen Keller's life achievements just a made up scam? No, that's not true: A vague conspiracy aims to erase the well-documented life achievements of Helen Keller. The American author and social activist was both deaf and blind from an illness in early childhood. She was a public figure who traveled and mainly communicated through an interpreter…

Was Nekima Levy Armstrong visibly crying in anguish in a Department of Homeland Security photo of her arrest by the FBI for her role in a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota? No, that's not true: The photo of Armstrong's arrest posted by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem showed Armstrong's face as composed and expressionless. About one half hour…

Did President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan quietly drive themselves to a Virginia nursing home to serve breakfast to elderly residents on Christmas Day 1983? No, that's not true: This is a completely made-up story that is contradicted by historical records, including President Reagan's personal diary entry for that date. It was published by a Pakistani-based spam factory…