Lead Stories
US icon US UK icon UK EU icon Europe & EU Democrats icon Blue Feed Republicans icon Red Feed Deepfakes icon Deep fakes Breaking icon Breaking News

&Quot;Bait And Switch&Quot;

  • Fact Check: '3 Year Old Baby Girl' Named 'Bobbi Renae' Was NOT Found In Various Locations -- It's Social Media Scam To Generate Engagement

    Fact Check

    Was the same "3 year old baby girl," whose name is listed as "Bobbi Renae," found in various locations? No, that's not true: Although social media posts making the claim use an image of a child who was found after being missing, the posts form part of a strategy that seeks to generate likes and shares before swapping the contents…

    • Jul 2, 2024
    • by: Christiana Dillard
    Fact Check: '3 Year Old Baby Girl' Named 'Bobbi Renae' Was NOT Found In Various Locations -- It's Social Media Scam To Generate Engagement Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: 'Unidentified' Newborn Posts Are NOT Genuine Effort To Find Parents -- Part Of A Bait-And-Switch Scam

    Fact Check

    Was an unidentified newborn baby found by the police, and will sharing a post on social media help identify the child? No, that's not true: A viral post is part of a bait-and-switch scam, the story is not true and the photo is misused. The baby pictured is Andrew Caballeiro, and this photo appeared in the January 28, 2020, Florida…

    • Jul 1, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: 'Unidentified' Newborn Posts Are NOT Genuine Effort To Find Parents -- Part Of A Bait-And-Switch Scam Post Swap Scam
  • Fact Check: FAKE Post About 'Treasured Item' Is Social Media Tactic Used In Real Estate Scam

    Fact Check

    Is there an identical "treasured item" being found in multiple locations at the same time? No, that's not true: The social media posts that describe this alleged loss are bait-and-switch posts. These posts use made-up stories to garner engagement. Once they get enough, the posters switch the content to advertise real estate. The claim appeared in a post (the post…

    • Jun 28, 2024
    • by: Christiana Dillard
    Fact Check: FAKE Post About 'Treasured Item' Is Social Media Tactic Used In Real Estate Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: 'Walter Jones' And Dog 'Cami' Are NOT Missing -- False Social Media Post Is A Ruse For Sharing A Scam

    Fact Check

    Did 78-year-old Walter Jones never return home after driving out with his dog Cami? No, that's not true: The man in a photo on a social media post is not Walter Jones but the chief surgeon of a veterinary hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. The false narrative is part of a scam that inspires concerned people to share a post which…

    • Jun 12, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: 'Walter Jones' And Dog 'Cami' Are NOT Missing -- False Social Media Post Is A Ruse For Sharing A Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: FAKE Post About Dog Hurt In Hit-And-Run In Various Places Is Part Of Social Media Scam

    Fact Check

    Does a post being shared by various community groups about a dog hurt in a hit-and-run accident describe a real incident? No, that's not true: The post was copied and posted in different social media groups in different states and is a part of a bait-and-switch scheme. These types of posts receive engagement from users based on their attention-getting, alarming…

    • May 9, 2024
    • by: Christiana Dillard
    Fact Check: FAKE Post About Dog Hurt In Hit-And-Run In Various Places Is Part Of Social Media Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Many Posts About Copperhead Snakes Smelling Like Cucumbers Are Part Of Bait And Switch Scam

    Fact Check

    Is a post about the danger of copperhead snakes that can be detected by their cucumber-like scent a legitimate warning to a community? No, that's not true: This post is part of a well-known scam that functions to trick concerned people to share it. After some time passes, the snake post will be edited to become a real estate scam.…

    • Mar 26, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: Many Posts About Copperhead Snakes Smelling Like Cucumbers Are Part Of Bait And Switch Scam Bait & Switch
  • Fact Check: Claim That Rabies Has 'Never Been Proven to Exist' Is NOT True -- It's Been Known About For At Least 2,500 Years

    Fact Check

    Has rabies "never been proven to exist"? No, that's not true: Rabies is a viral disease that affects mammals, including humans, and is typically transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, often through bites. The existence of rabies is well-documented in medical and scientific literature, and extensive efforts worldwide are made to prevent and control its spread through vaccination and…

    • Feb 12, 2024
    • by: Ed Payne
    Fact Check: Claim That Rabies Has 'Never Been Proven to Exist' Is NOT True -- It's Been Known About For At Least 2,500 Years Old Ailment
  • Fact Check: 'Toasty Heater' Was NOT Invented By A Firefighter, A Veteran, Or An Army Officer -- It's A Marked-Up Chinese Wholesale Product

    Fact Check

    Did an upstate New York firefighter named David, along with his brother, a former NASA engineer, invent a safer, better and more energy efficient electric heater after David's daughter got carbon monoxide poisoning from a fire in her bedroom? No, that's not true: This detailed inventor's narrative, presented with the many high pressure sales tactics like special pricing and purported…

    • Jan 8, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: 'Toasty Heater' Was NOT Invented By A Firefighter, A Veteran, Or An Army Officer -- It's A Marked-Up Chinese Wholesale Product Marketing Ploy
  • Fact Check: Hospitalized Woman Is NOT Unidentified -- Scam Post Uses Fake Story, Repurposed Photo To Garner Shares

    Fact Check

    Was an unidentified young woman robbed, stabbed, and left for dead by the side of the road, and will sharing a post on social media help to identify her? No, that's not true: This post is a fabrication designed to trick people to share the post within their local community. The photo, which appeared in several news articles, actually shows…

    • Dec 26, 2023
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: Hospitalized Woman Is NOT Unidentified -- Scam Post Uses Fake Story, Repurposed Photo To Garner Shares Scam Post
  • Fact Check: Acting On 'Bump This Post' Will NOT Help Find Missing Man With Dementia -- It's Ruse To Trick People To Share It

    Fact Check

    Did "Mr. Luke Jones," purportedly a man with dementia, drive away from his home and fail to return, triggering the activation of a silver alert? No, that's not true: No elderly man named Luke Jones is missing at the time of writing. This story is a part of a scam formula that begins with a ruse to entice people to…

    • Dec 21, 2023
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: Acting On 'Bump This Post' Will NOT Help Find Missing Man With Dementia -- It's Ruse To Trick People To Share It Bait & Switch
1 2 3 4 5 6

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!.

Lead Stories is a:

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

Follow us on social media

WhatsApp Tipline

Have a tip or a question? Chat with our friendly robots on WhatsApp!

Add our number +1 (404) 655-4223, follow this link or scan the image below with your phone:

@leadstories

Subscribe to our newsletter

* indicates required

Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Lead Stories LLC:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Most Read

  • Fact Check: Photo Of Epstein With Trump On Private Jet Is NOT Real AI-Generated

    Fact Check: Photo Of Epstein With Trump On Private Jet Is NOT Real

    Fact Check

    • Jan 11, 2024
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
  • Fact Check: Los Angeles Traffic Is NOT 'Just Gone' Because Of Mass Deportations -- LA Freeways Are Still Jammed Still A Rush

    Fact Check: Los Angeles Traffic Is NOT 'Just Gone' Because Of Mass Deportations -- LA Freeways Are Still Jammed

    Fact Check

    • Jul 8, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
  • Fact Check: FAKE Persona 'Brad T. Faciti' (BadFaithAct) Posted About Forgiving Trump 'Even If He Rapes Women and Children' Trolling

    Fact Check: FAKE Persona 'Brad T. Faciti' (BadFaithAct) Posted About Forgiving Trump 'Even If He Rapes Women and Children'

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • Fact Check: Epstein Jail Video Posted By Department Of Justice IS Missing 61 Seconds -- Jumps From 11:58:59 PM to 12:00:00 AM Missing Minute

    Fact Check: Epstein Jail Video Posted By Department Of Justice IS Missing 61 Seconds -- Jumps From 11:58:59 PM to 12:00:00 AM

    Fact Check

    • Jul 7, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
  • Fact Check: Kansas City Chiefs Coach Andy Reid Did NOT Announce He Will Cover Funeral Expenses For Families Of Texas Flood Victims Didn't Happen

    Fact Check: Kansas City Chiefs Coach Andy Reid Did NOT Announce He Will Cover Funeral Expenses For Families Of Texas Flood Victims

    Fact Check

    • Jul 8, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Story About Mississippi Food Stamps Hacker Arrested In Hinds County In Early July 2025 Is NOT Real Recycled Rumor

    Fact Check: Story About Mississippi Food Stamps Hacker Arrested In Hinds County In Early July 2025 Is NOT Real

    Fact Check

    • Jul 7, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Picture Does NOT Show 'Trump Dancing With A 13 Year Old Girl' -- It's NOT Real Photo AI-Generated

    Fact Check: Picture Does NOT Show 'Trump Dancing With A 13 Year Old Girl' -- It's NOT Real Photo

    Fact Check

    • Jun 15, 2023
    • by: Uliana Malashenko

Most Recent

  • Fact Check: Satirist's 2,343-Character 'CREEP JEFFREY EPSTEIN' Rant Is NOT An Actual Trump Truth Social Post -- Truth Social Limits Posts To 500 Characters Satirist's Jab

    Fact Check: Satirist's 2,343-Character 'CREEP JEFFREY EPSTEIN' Rant Is NOT An Actual Trump Truth Social Post -- Truth Social Limits Posts To 500 Characters

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Dean Miller
  • Fact Check: Viral Quote Does NOT Accurately Represent Elizabeth Warren's Words About Mollie Tibbetts Altered Words

    Fact Check: Viral Quote Does NOT Accurately Represent Elizabeth Warren's Words About Mollie Tibbetts

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check:  Image Claiming Kamala Harris Got 68M Votes Does NOT Correctly Represent 2024 Election Results More Than That

    Fact Check: Image Claiming Kamala Harris Got 68M Votes Does NOT Correctly Represent 2024 Election Results

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
  • Fact Check: Donald Trump Did NOT Ask Americans to 'Focus on Mexicans and Flooding' Instead of the 'Epstein Files' Fabrication

    Fact Check: Donald Trump Did NOT Ask Americans to 'Focus on Mexicans and Flooding' Instead of the 'Epstein Files'

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • Fact Check: FAKE Persona 'Brad T. Faciti' (BadFaithAct) Posted About Forgiving Trump 'Even If He Rapes Women and Children' Trolling

    Fact Check: FAKE Persona 'Brad T. Faciti' (BadFaithAct) Posted About Forgiving Trump 'Even If He Rapes Women and Children'

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
  • Fact Check: Fake 'ICE Agents Quitting In Droves' Headline NOT Published By Sky News -- Satirical Meme Fake Headline

    Fact Check: Fake 'ICE Agents Quitting In Droves' Headline NOT Published By Sky News -- Satirical Meme

    Fact Check

    • Jul 10, 2025
    • by: Maarten Schenk
  • Fact Check: Hillary Clinton Did NOT Tweet 'What The Fuck' In Response To A Democrat Tweet Calling For Epstein Files Release No WTF Post

    Fact Check: Hillary Clinton Did NOT Tweet 'What The Fuck' In Response To A Democrat Tweet Calling For Epstein Files Release

    Fact Check

    • Jul 9, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke

Share your opinion

Share Tweet
Home About IFCN Code of Principles How we work Satire Policy Privacy Policy Corrections Policy Corrections Archive Contact
Български English Espanol Magyar Română Русский Slovensky Українська

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
IFCN logo EFCSN logo
© 2015-2024 Lead Stories LLC - All rights reserved.

Lead Stories

  • Home
  • Fact Check
  • US icon US
  • UK icon UK
  • EU icon Europe & EU
  • Ireland icon Ireland
  • Canada icon Canada
  • War icon War 🇷🇺 & 🇺🇦
  • Coronavirus icon Corona Virus
  • Democrats icon Blue Feed
  • Republicans icon Red Feed
  • Deepfakes icon Deep fakes
  • Breaking icon Breaking News
  • Elections icon Elections 2024
  • Business
  • Current Events
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • International
  • Politics
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Society
  • Technology
  • Corrections
  • Analysis
  • Explainer
  • Satire