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Bait &Amp; Switch

  • 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: SCAM Posts Push Claim About Found 2-Year-Old To Lure People To Share Them

    Fact Check

    Was an approximately 2-year-old-child, who was never reported missing, found in a town -- and are police keeping the child safe while looking for the child's guardian? No, that's not true: While this situation may have occurred somewhere at some point in time, posts circulating on Facebook in May 2024 are part of a scam and are not true. The…

    • May 15, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: SCAM Posts Push Claim About Found 2-Year-Old To Lure People To Share Them False Alarm
  • 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: Posts Warning Of Catalytic Converter Thieves Are NOT Authentic -- Part Of A Spamming Ruse

    Fact Check

    Do photos circulating on social media show a catalytic-converter thief caught in the act in Saint Joseph, Missouri? No, that's not true: These photos were taken in Oldham, on the outskirts of Manchester, England. A Facebook account that tries to recover stolen vehicles in the United Kingdom first posted the photos in 2020 to identify people allegedly stealing catalytic converters…

    • Apr 26, 2024
    • by: Sarah Thompson
    Fact Check: Posts Warning Of Catalytic Converter Thieves Are NOT Authentic -- Part Of A Spamming Ruse 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: NO Evidence That 'Dr. Steven Gundry Discovered 3 Completely Natural Ingredients' For Blood Pressure -- Post Offers NO Medical Info, Only A Furniture Ad

    Fact Check

    Did American physician and author Dr. Steven Gundry discover three "completely natural ingredients, and as a result, blood pressure disappeared forever"? No, that's not true: Gundry's publicist said that this post is a "total scam" and was not produced by his team. At the time of writing people who clicked the post's "Learn More" tab were taken to a page…

    • Jan 15, 2024
    • by: Marlo Lee
    Fact Check: NO Evidence That 'Dr. Steven Gundry Discovered 3 Completely Natural Ingredients'  For Blood Pressure -- Post Offers NO Medical Info, Only A Furniture Ad No Information
  • 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
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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.
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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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