False Promotion

Can anyone under 65 years old qualify to claim a $6,400 Affordable Care Act benefit through the Texas Relief Act? No, that's not true: There is no government program resembling what is described in a Facebook ad. The application process to see if you qualify to claim a "subsidy card" is not an official government website but a referral service…

Did Dr. Mehmet Oz promote a "cure" for prostate disease that does not require surgery? No, that's not true: A representative for Oz told Lead Stories, "This is a fake post fraudulently using Dr. Oz's name and likeness." A link that accompanied a post making the claim on Facebook redirected users to a bogus website posing as NBC News. Also,…

Did Donald Trump endorse a "$6,400 bonus" scheme before Christmas 2023? No, that's not true: Lead Stories could not find any evidence that the former president ever made any of the comments in a video making the claim, and it appears to be an AI-generated voice making the statements. There is no such federal program at the time of writing.…

Did former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama appear in a video promotion for a federal program giving out monthly $5,600 health spending cards to spend on bills, gas, groceries or "anything else you can think of"? No, that's not true: A video of Michelle Obama taken from a BBC interview has been altered with a fake voiceover that sounds like…

Did Dr. Mehmet Oz promote a gummy cure to "clean out your blood vessels"? No, that's not true: For years the celebrity Dr. Oz has been the subject of false promotional advertising using his name and likeness to sell products, and he has been outspoken about the problem, warning his audience to avoid the scams. Several video clips showing Oz…

Did the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps place Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Dr. Karen Hacker under arrest for committing "treason, abuse of office, and defrauding the country"? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer and representatives of the CDC told Lead Stories that this claim is false. The website where this claim was made publishes…

Does a video on Facebook show singer Cardi B. endorsing a "health spending card" from the U.S. government? No, that's not true: The footage of music artist Belcalis Almanzar-Cephus comes from a video in which she promoted a "holiday drink" she had made; not a health spending card. The U.S. government has denounced as scams any "spending cards" supposedly issued…

Does a video on Facebook show actor Michael B. Jordan endorsing a "health spending card" promotion? No, that's not true: Jordan's public relations team confirmed to Lead Stories that this claim is false. Lead Stories previously has debunked fake promotions, such as the one linked to this post, as scams to get social media users' personal information. The claim appeared…

Did Elon Musk promote an investing platform on SABC News South Africa? No, that's not true: This video post uses inauthentic audio dubbed over an authentic video of Musk speaking during a Fox News interview in April 2023. No such report on the South African Broadcasting Corporation website was found. This resembles multiple prior posts making false claims that Musk…

Does a video on Facebook show actress Jada Pinkett Smith endorsing a "health spending card" promotion? No, that's not true: The audio in this post is fake, as she was talking about her health in at least one of the video clips used in this claim -- not a "health spending card." Fake promotions, such as the one linked to…