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&Quot;Bait&Quot; And &Quot;Switch&Quot;

  • Fact Check: Posts About 'Serial Killer' Robert Thibodeau Are FALSE

    Fact Check

    Were social media posts genuinely warning the public in late 2024 about Robert Thibodeau, who was being called a "serial killer on the run" in communities over 2,500 miles apart? No, that's not true: Tipton County, Tennessee, Sheriff Shannon Beasley responded to one of these posts, shared in that area, stating, "This is a scam and NOT TRUE." Through a…

    • Dec 4, 2024
    • by: Ed Payne
    Fact Check: Posts About 'Serial Killer' Robert Thibodeau Are FALSE Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Announce $6,400 'Check For Free' As Of November 25, 2024

    Fact Check

    Did President-elect Donald Trump announce $6,400 "relief checks" that "any American can qualify for"? No, that's not true: A video on Facebook showing Trump announcing the checks is a deepfake. A link in the post did not direct users to an official government website but rather to a health insurance webpage. As of this publication, the government had not announced…

    • Nov 25, 2024
    • by: Madison Dapcevich
    Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Announce $6,400 'Check For Free' As Of November 25, 2024 Deepfake Clip
  • Fact Check: Viral Posts About 'Missing' Police Officer Jonathan Diller Are FALSE

    Fact Check

    Are social media posts authentically trying to find a police officer named Jonathan Diller, described as missing from towns more than 1,000 miles apart? No, that's not true: The Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Police Department replied to one of these posts shared in their area, saying, "You are sharing SPAM." News reports show Diller, a New York City officer, was killed in…

    • Nov 12, 2024
    • by: Ed Payne
    Fact Check: Viral Posts About 'Missing' Police Officer Jonathan Diller Are FALSE Internet Scam
  • Fact Check: FAKE Posts About Lost And Found 'Old Lady' With Dementia Are Bait-And-Switch Ads

    Fact Check

    Are social media posts asking for help identifying a disoriented, lost "old lady" who may have dementia real? No, that's not true: This post is part of an online bait-and-switch scam that deceives social media users into viewing posts that are later edited to show fake advertisements. Lead Stories previously debunked similar scam posts about a lost "old lady" with…

    • Nov 8, 2024
    • by: Kaiyah Clarke
    Fact Check: FAKE Posts About Lost And Found 'Old Lady' With Dementia Are Bait-And-Switch Ads Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Repeat Posts About 'Approximately 2 Years Old' Boy Taken To Police Station Are NOT Authentic -- Bait & Switch For Real Estate Ads

    Fact Check

    Are social media posts posting authentic information that police officers in various states have "no idea" where an "approximately 2 years old" boy who was found and taken to a police station lives? No, that's not true: Lead Stories has debunked a variation of this particular story about an "approximately two years old" boy before. These bait-and-switch posts use an…

    • Oct 11, 2024
    • by: Kaiyah Clarke
    Fact Check: Repeat Posts About 'Approximately 2 Years Old' Boy Taken To Police Station Are NOT Authentic -- Bait & Switch For Real Estate Ads Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: FAKE Post Claims 'Little Boy' Was 'Found' By Officers Across Multiple Counties -- Bait & Switch

    Fact Check

    Have authorities in various towns and counties in the U.S. found a lost "little boy," approximately 2 years old, whose place of residence is unknown, as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: This post, and others like it, are part of a known deception to trick people into sharing content. In this scam, a shared claim will…

    • Oct 8, 2024
    • by: Madison Dapcevich
    Fact Check: FAKE Post Claims 'Little Boy' Was 'Found' By Officers Across Multiple Counties -- Bait & Switch Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Bumping A Post Will NOT Help Identify 2-Year-Old Boy Purportedly Found Unattended -- It's Scam

    Fact Check

    Was a little boy, approximately 2 or 3 years old, found unattended in several locations, and is he now being cared for at a police station? No, that's not true: The posts circulating on social media are not based on a real, ongoing incident. The deceptive posts use the same photos and captions, but change the name of the town…

    • Oct 1, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: Bumping A Post Will NOT Help Identify 2-Year-Old Boy Purportedly Found Unattended -- It's Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: FAKE Posts About Missing 3-Year-Old Alliyah Evans Kidnapped From Target In Various Cities Are Bait & Switch

    Fact Check

    Are social media posts about a 3-year-old girl named Alliyah Evans who supposedly was kidnapped from a Target store in various locations real? No, that's not true: The posts that say that she is missing in several different places -- like Greenville, North Carolina; Georgetown, Kentucky; and Stuttgart, Arkansas -- are part of a bait-and-switch scheme. Typically, users post emotional…

    • Sep 25, 2024
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
    Fact Check: FAKE Posts About Missing 3-Year-Old Alliyah Evans Kidnapped From Target In Various Cities Are Bait & Switch Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: FAKE Posts About Missing Elderly Couple Raymond Peterson And Wife Sophie Are Bait-And-Switch Real Estate Ads

    Fact Check

    Did social media posts share the true story of the disappearance of Raymond Peterson and his wife Sophie from Livingston Parish in Louisiana? No, that's not true: The posts were part of a bait-and-switch technique commonly seen on Facebook where the content of emotionally charged posts calling for help later get replaced by a scam real-estate ad. The real names…

    • Sep 25, 2024
    • by: Marlo Lee
    Fact Check: FAKE Posts About Missing Elderly Couple Raymond Peterson And Wife Sophie Are Bait-And-Switch Real Estate Ads Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Users Can NOT Get $750 Shein Gift Card By Answering Questions On Facebook -- Bait-and-Switch Scheme

    Fact Check

    Is the offer of a $750 Shein gift card for answering a few questions after following a link on Facebook legitimate? No, that's not true: The fast-fashion retailer told Lead Stories that "this is not a legitimate offer." The terms and conditions for a gift card require more than just a questionnaire. Users must finish a certain number of "deals,…

    • Sep 19, 2024
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
    Fact Check: Users Can NOT Get $750 Shein Gift Card By Answering Questions On Facebook -- Bait-and-Switch Scheme Gift Card Scam
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About Us

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.
Spotted something? Let us know!.

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    Fact Check: Rep. Jasmine Crockett Does NOT Have Net Worth Of $9 Million

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    • Feb 14, 2025
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  • What We Know About 'Jesus', 'Signal Fire', 'Armageddon' Alleged Quote Of US Commander Ahead Of Iran Strikes -- Single, Anonymous Source What We Know

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    Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Hillary Clinton Posing With Jeffrey Epstein And Ghislaine Maxwell -- It's Jimmy Buffett's Wife

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    Fact Check: FAKE Video Purportedly From The Epstein Files Claims To Show Trump With Blindfolded Children

    Fact Check

    • Mar 4, 2026
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
  • Fact Check: Fake Video Does NOT Show Supersonic Iranian Rockets Really Striking The Tel Aviv Marina -- AI-Generated AI Generated

    Fact Check: Fake Video Does NOT Show Supersonic Iranian Rockets Really Striking The Tel Aviv Marina -- AI-Generated

    Fact Check

    • Mar 4, 2026
    • by: Sarah Thompson
  • Fact Check: FAKE Video Purported To Show Real-Life 'Moment Iran Destroyed U.S. Navy Fleet In Bahrain' AI Video

    Fact Check: FAKE Video Purported To Show Real-Life 'Moment Iran Destroyed U.S. Navy Fleet In Bahrain'

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    • Mar 4, 2026
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  • Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Damage To The Deck Of The USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier Different Ship

    Fact Check: Photo Does NOT Show Damage To The Deck Of The USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier

    Fact Check

    • Mar 4, 2026
    • by: Ed Payne
  • Fact Check: Video Shows A 1957 Nuclear Test In U.S. NOT In Iran -- No Evidence Earthquake In Gerash Region Was Caused By Nuke 1957 U.S. Test

    Fact Check: Video Shows A 1957 Nuclear Test In U.S. NOT In Iran -- No Evidence Earthquake In Gerash Region Was Caused By Nuke

    Fact Check

    • Mar 4, 2026
    • by: Sarah Thompson
  • What We Know About 'Jesus', 'Signal Fire', 'Armageddon' Alleged Quote Of US Commander Ahead Of Iran Strikes -- Single, Anonymous Source What We Know

    What We Know About 'Jesus', 'Signal Fire', 'Armageddon' Alleged Quote Of US Commander Ahead Of Iran Strikes -- Single, Anonymous Source

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    • Mar 4, 2026
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  • Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Real Bombing Of Tel Aviv In March 2026 AI Video

    Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Real Bombing Of Tel Aviv In March 2026

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    • Mar 4, 2026
    • 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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