Business

Does a device called "Pro Power Save" help consumers cut their electric bills in half? No, that's not true: such devices have not been proven to work as advertised. The claim appeared in a post published on Facebook on December 9, 2022. The post included a video, which had a title and a caption that read: How To Cut Your…

Was a young girl found alone at a gas station in multiple cities across the United States? No, that's not true: The claim is a scam meant to trick people into sharing the post. The post is an example of a common -- and deceptive -- method of advertising real estate in local markets. An example of the claim appeared…

Are there "electric" and "magnetic" foods that people should be eating in balance with each other to give their bodies what they need? No, that's not true: Neither term is used to describe food in the disciplines of food science, nutrition or horticulture. A University of Nebraska professor and food scientist called the notion "nonsense." The claim appeared in a…

Is Pfizer spelled backward -- Rezifp -- the god of the plague and the underworld? No, that's not true: Rezifp has no meaning. The god of the underworld that social media posts are referring to is spelled Resheph. Pfizer, Inc. is named after Charles Pfizer, who founded the biotech and pharmaceutical company, then named Charles Pfizer & Company, in 1849.…

Did Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel admit that the company produced 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2019 before the pandemic began? No, that's not true: A video snippet shared to social media does not make it clear Bancel is saying his company had manufactured 100,000 vaccines for all diseases in 2019, not those targeting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 --…

Did Elon Musk threaten in a series of tweets to block DirecTV's satellite dishes after the TV provider banned NewsMax from their channel lineup? No, that's not true: The story is labeled satire on the website that published it. SpaceXMania, the website where the article originated, wrote in its disclaimer that every story labeled Satire is "fiction." There is no…

Does a 2020 study published before the approval of any COVID-19 vaccine prove the existence of a conspiracy to burn chicken farms to prevent populations from getting access to eggs that allegedly can protect from COVID? No, that's not true: The study and its conclusions have been significantly misinterpreted, and there is no evidence that eating commercially available eggs affects…

Did business mogul Elon Musk and Canadian celebrities endorse the "new" cryptocurrency platform Quantum Ai, according to a video supposedly from the CBC? No, that's not true: CBC News told Lead Stories that they did not publish the video making the claim; Musk is not the founder or owner of the cryptocurrency trading system Quantum Ai, and he and the…

Is Walmart giving $500 to shoppers because the retailer sold "contaminated" water last year? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Walmart has sold contaminated water or that they're compensating their customers. Walmart's corporate website does not mention anything of the sort. The claim appeared on Facebook (archived here) on February 1, 2023. The post has a photo…

Is the same RNA technology found in COVID-19 shots now being added to chicken feed, causing the poultry that eats it to have fertility problems? No, that's not true: "Commercial feed manufacturers are not adding RNA to chicken feed," a spokesperson for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association told Lead Stories. Amid an avian flu outbreak that has resulted in…

Has an international blood bank called Safe Blood Donation been opened in at least 16 countries to offer "pure blood," free of COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: A disclaimer on the company's website says the Safe Blood Donation blood bank is not currently in operation and does not grant access to unvaccinated blood. Rather, the company offers a paid…

Did Robin Roberts, the longtime co-host of ABC Television's "Good Morning America" (GMA) die on January 30, 2023? No, that's not true: As of February 1, 2023, Roberts remained alive and well, and actively posting on Instagram from New Zealand. The post implying that she had died is a ruse to get readers to an ad for CBD products. The…

Did football player Damar Hamlin die on the field in early January 2023 and is the NFL covering it up? No, that's not true: Hamlin, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, did collapse in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals but was revived by medical personnel before being taken to the hospital. Hamlin posted to his Instagram account while hospitalized…

Did celebrities call for a "total Hollywood strike" until everyone is vaccinated against COVID-19? No, that's not true: The claim, posted by a prolific publisher of fake news, is based on a fake tweet purportedly from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. An Academy representative told Lead Stories it is not their tweet. The claim appeared in an…

Did Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates or any of the business entities affiliated with him cause an egg shortage in the U.S.? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support this theory. The claim appeared in a video on Instagram on January 31, 2023, under the title: BILL GATES SYNTHETIC EGG PLAN COMING ALONG NICELY! EGG SHORTAGE...NOW THIS? The…

Is Disney giving away $1 tickets for "women born before 1980"? No, that's not true: The company's website contains no mentions of this alleged promo campaign. The claim appears to be a bait likely aimed at making users share their personal information. The claim originated in a post on Facebook on January 30, 2023. It contained a shared link showing…

Did a court rule that all female victims of gender discrimination by Costco can receive a $500 grocery credit from the membership warehouse club? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Costco is giving out $500 credits to anyone. Costco's fraud prevention page also discourages shoppers from clicking on ads that request survey participation, as they may thereby…

Does regularly consuming a cup of java increase the odds of developing cancer thanks to the chemical acrylamide in the brew? No, that's not true: Repeated medical studies have found no link between acrylamide and cancer, the National Cancer Institute reports. Medical experts have found no conclusive evidence of a cancer risk from coffee in general, and have instead found…

Does the nacho cheese dip in Lunchables "Nachos Cheese Dip & Salsa" contain shards of glass? No, that's not true: The crystals have been widely reported by consumers -- but they are not glass. The crystals may form from one of the regular ingredients in the snack food under certain conditions. A Kraft Heinz spokesman acknowledged in a statement that…

Are aborted fetal cells added to artificial flavors in food products? No, that's not true: The false claim mis-states the use of HEK 293 cells in taste research by the Senomyx company, which was purchased by Firmenich, a Swiss flavor and fragrance company, in 2018. "Neither Firmenich products nor Senomyx products have ever contained any human cell or material," Firmenich…