The fact-check archive.
Thousands of dissected hoaxes in Indonesian and English: the claim, what the fact-checkers found, and the sources to verify it yourself.
8,224 fact-checks
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Chase Credit Card ‘Thank-You For Scheduling Payment’ Malware Email
Although it is designed to look like an authentic banking notification, the email is not from Chase. The attached.zip file harbours a trojan that can connect to remote servers operated by cybercriminals and download and install further malware.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 8, 2015
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Facebook Like-Farming Scam – 100 MacBook Laptop Giveaway
The Page is fraudulent and it is not giving away MacBook laptops as claimed. It is a scam designed to accumulate as many likes as possible in the shortest possible time.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 8, 2015
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Tanner Dwyer Friend Request Hacker Hoax
The claims in the message are nonsense. Even the cleverest “hacker” cannot access your computer just because you accepted a friend request. A name cannot hack your computer.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Apr 1, 2015
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Virgin Media ‘Urgent Billing Update’ Phishing Scam
According to this email, which purports to be from Virgin Media, you have been set up to receive bills from the company online. Supposedly, the company is upgrading to a new and improved payment system and you must therefore urgently upgrade your billing…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 31, 2015
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[VIDEO] 300 iPhones Giveaway Like-Farming Scam
As per usual, Facebook like-farmers continue to trick people into liking and sharing by offering the chance to win expensive prizes that do not exist.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 30, 2015
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‘My Resume’ Malware Emails
Sometimes, the simplest criminal ruses are the most effective. One current malware campaign attempts to trick you into infecting your computer by opening what you believe is a simple resume.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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[Video] Bogus “Court Notice”; Malware Emails Continue
Criminals continue to use bogus “Notice to Appear in Court” emails to distribute malware. There are many variations of these malware messages. Some, such as the example quoted below, claim to be from a court official.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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PayPal ‘Payment Reversal’ Phishing Scam
According to the subject line of this email, which purports to be from PayPal, the company is investigating a payment reversal involving Apple.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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Yet Another Dying Widow Advance Fee Scam
I’ve now been writing about scams and hoaxes for around 12 years. I have an archive containing thousands of advance fee scam emails. A goodly portion of them are very similar to the “dying widow” scam I’ve quoted below.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 29, 2015
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Slack Reports Data Breach
Team collaboration platform Slack has reported a March 2015 security incident in which hackers gained unauthorized access to user profiles.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 28, 2015
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Facebook ‘Your Account Will Be Disabled’ Phishing Scam
The message is not from Facebook. It is a phishing scam designed to steal your Facebook login details, your credit card details, and your PayPal account login information. If one of these messages comes your way, do not click any links that it contains.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 28, 2015
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American Express ‘Unusual Activity’ Phishing Scam
According to this email, unusual activity on your American Express account has raised security concerns and you need to click a link to login and secure your account. However, the email is certainly not from AmEx.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 27, 2015
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MattyB Like-Farming Scam
The Page is a like-farming scam and is not associated with MattyB in any way. There is no prize. The scam is designed to accumulate as many likes as possible so that the fake Page can be either used to launch further spam and scam campaigns or sold on the…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 25, 2015
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Pepsi Car Wrap Money Laundering Scam
The email is a money laundering scam and is not from Pepsi or any genuine advertising company. The message is designed to trick you into accepting fake or stolen cheques and wiring a portion of the proceeds back to the criminals as cash.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 17, 2015
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Facebook Deleting Inactive Likes Warning Messages
Various messages warning that Facebook is now deleting inactive likes from Facebook Pages are circulating vigorously across the network.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 16, 2015
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‘Know Who Viewed Your Profile’ Facebook Scam
For years, Facebook users have been plagued by scam messages claiming that they can find out who has been viewing their profiles. Typically, the messages claim that you need to click a link and then install a Facebook app to access a list of people who have…
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 10, 2015
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‘United Nations’ Advance Fee Scam Uses Skype
The message is not from the United Nations. It is an advance fee scam designed to trick people into sending their money and personal information to cybercriminals.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 10, 2015
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PayPal ‘Unknown Device or Location’ Phishing Email
Because PayPal conducts almost all of its activities online, phishing scammers constantly target the company’s customers. The cover stories used in these scam campaigns vary considerably.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 9, 2015
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Weasel On the Back of a Woodpecker Image
Image: Martin Le-May A rather compelling image, which depicts a weasel perched on the back of a flying woodpecker, has the interwebs all aquiver.
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 4, 2015
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Vodafone ‘Bill a Bit More Than Usual’ Malware Emails
This story was first published on November 21, 2013
Hoax-Slayer · English · Mar 1, 2015
Entries are collected from public fact-checking sites and link back to the original article.