Dollar Bills

Can your Social Security card be used like a credit card? No, that's not true: The Federal Reserve Bank deals with banks only, not serving individual customers. The FBI is aware of this false claim, and people who try to extract money from the Federal Reserve could face criminal charges. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) where…

Did platinum album-selling artist Usher throw fake dollar bills to Las Vegas strippers in place of the paper money customarily thrown as tips? No, that's not true: Usher did not make it rain with fake bills of various amounts that featured his likeness. According to a representative of Sapphire Las Vegas, the club in question, Usher generously paid the dancers…

Is there really a "Cannibal Club" restaurant in Los Angeles and can you read all about it on their website? No, that's not true: the site was created as part of a web design class and uses stock photos and fake names for its staff. Peddlers of conspiracy theories that have latched on to the site and claim it is…

Does the recent legislation that funds aid to Americans economically hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic also provide tax dollars for "gender studies" in Pakistan? No, that's not true: Though they were voted on as one package, the COVID relief measures were part of a separate bill that was then bundled together with others to streamline end-of-the-year votes in Congress. The…

Did President Trump post a meme about Dr. Anthony Fauci on Facebook? No, that's not true: the meme was posted by a parody account but garnered tens of thousands likes, shares and comments, many from people who didn't realize it did not come from the President's own Facebook account. The meme appeared in a post (archived here) where it was…

Did The New York Times pay zero federal income tax in 2017 on earnings of $111 million? It's entirely possible, but open to interpretation: Public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission include tax estimates. While those estimates may be an accurate representation of what a company pays, they may not be, especially given the fact that tax changes in…

Does House Resolution 6666 ban people not vaccinated for COVID-19 from entering churches, schools, and medical buildings that receive money from the legislation? No, that's not true: No provision in this proposal makes vaccinations mandatory. In fact, nowhere in the 664-word document does the word vaccine even appear. Also, there is no vaccine for COVID-19 yet. The claim originated in…

Does House Resolution 6666 include billions of dollars to fund forced quarantining for Americans who test positive for COVID-19? No, that's not true: the bill earmarks funding to improve Americans' health through mobile testing units in medically underserved areas. The claim that this bill is bad, based on its number, comes from a video posted on May 9, 2020, titled…

Were President Abraham Lincoln and President John F. Kennedy both assassinated for trying to end the Federal Reserve banking system? No, there is no evidence to back this up: The two presidents, who were both shot and killed while in office, have been the subjects of many questions and conspiracy theories for decades, and this meme has double misconceptions. The…

Did President Trump tweet that he had ordered the U.S. Treasury to send checks to Americans - but only after checking people's social media posts to make sure they were not unfavorable to the president. No, this is a satirical post: Whle Trump and Congress are hashing out details of a stimulus package to boost the economy amid the novel…