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HoaxesHoaxes are deliberate cases of deception designed to trick an intended audience. While hoaxes have been around as long as humans have communicated, the digital world has allowed misinformation to spread faster and further than ever before. Social media created ideal conditions for pranks and false claims about celebrities, news events, and natural phenomena. In terms of impact, hoaxes can range from harmless pranks to seriously damaging incidents that erode public trust in a person or institution. Explore Hoaxes
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There are 5 key reasons why people carry out hoaxesWhile it's hard to pinpoint just one motive for trickery, many cases indicate that hoaxers are seeking attention. Other reasons include making a profit, or simply that fooling others is fun. Psychology TodayAn image of a shark swimming on the freeway repeatedly fools viewers during natural disastersThe long-running joke traces back to 2011, following Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico. Since then, pranksters have spread the image after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and Hurricane Laura in 2020. The image is photo-edited, combining a 2005 photo of a kayaker being followed by a great white shark and a photo of a flooded street. USA TODAYThe Shed at Dulwich was a fake restaurant that became the top-rated eatery in LondonIn 2017, freelance writer Oobah Butler conducted an experiment in which he created a website claiming that his south London garden shed offered a unique fine-dining experience. Butler asked friends to write glowing reviews on Tripadvisor, made the restaurant open only by appointment, and allured audiences with mystery. As a result, hordes of people called and emailed to make a reservation at a restaurant that didn't exist. Payload AppA large number of Bigfoot sighting claims come from southeastern OhioHistorians debunk four famous Bigfoot sighting claims, with locals living near forested areas claiming to have been visited by the hairy, mythical creature. One family in 1978 claimed to see Bigfoot—until further investigation revealed they potentially even killed their pet German shepherd for the hoax. HISTORYOne prankster started a movement to clothe animals in the mid-20th centuryG. Clifford Prout founded the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, saying that animal nudity was rude and immoral. The campaign continued for years until CBS employees realized Prout was actually a comedian named Buck Henry. Museum of HoaxesThe creator of Sherlock Holmes published a book claiming fairies were realIn 1917, two young girls took photos of one another appearing to interact with fairies and a gnome. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes books and a fervent believer in spiritualism, published the photos in a magazine and asked the girls to recreate them, which they did. Conan Doyle went on to write a book about the fairies. In 1983, decades after his death, the girls admitted the photos had been faked. BBC News
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