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David Emery
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The Latest in Urban Legends
AAA Tipsy Tow Service - Viral image / Facebook
What's the Deal with AAA's New Year's Eve "Tipsy Tow" Program?
Social media posts erroneously claim that AAA's New Year's Eve 'Tipsy Tow' service for drinking drivers is available nationwide. It isn't, though there are similar services you may have access to.
Hugh Hefner Passes Away at the Age of 88 - NBCToday.co (fake news website)
Hugh Hefner Dead? No, It's a Hoax!
Fake news story claims Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner is dead.
Krampus - Imagno/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The Top 5 Scariest Christmas Monsters
If you've been nice, you have nothing to fear from Krampus, Pere Fouettard, Knecht Ruprecht, or Gryla; if you've been naughty, hide under the bed!
Jan 4 Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity - Facebook.com
"Zero-G Planetary Alignment" Story Is a Hoax
Zero Gravity Day: Recycled April Fools prank claims a rare January 4 planetary alignment will briefly counteract Earth's gravity.
12 Days of Christmas Song - Stockbyte / Getty Images
Is There a Hidden Meaning in "The 12 Days of Christmas"?
Internet text purports to explain the 'origin and secret meaning' of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas,' describing it as an 'underground catechism song' for Catholics who endured religious persecution in Protestant England.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Alex Wong / Getty Images
The "True" Story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Who wrote Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and why? A viral text claims Rudolph was created by Montgomery Ward copywriter Bob May to console his 4-year-old daughter after her mother succumbed to cancer.
Facebook Submits Names of Users Posing in Pictures With Guns To Homeland Security - EmpireNews.net
No, Facebook Isn't Ratting Out Gun Owners to DHS
Satirical article claims Facebook is submitting photos of users posing with guns to DHS.
Are poinsettias poisonous? - Mario Villafuerte / Getty Images
Is It True that Poinsettias Are Poisonous to Pets?
Is it true that poinsettia plants are poisonous if ingested, especially by small children and pets?
Facebook is trying to get folks to remove this picture because it is offensive - Facebook.com
Did Facebook Really Ban This Nativity Picture as "Offensive"?
Viral posts falsly claim that Facebook is requiring members to remove a picture of the nativity scene on the grounds that it's 'offensive.'
Facebook Privacy Notice - Facebook.com
Viral "Privacy Notice" on Facebook Has No Legal Standing
DON'T FALL FOR IT! Viral post purports to protect the privacy and intellectual property rights of Facebook members who copy and paste it to their walls. Not true.
Officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson MO Police Department - Via Facebook
This Is NOT the Ferguson, Mo. Police Officer Who Shot Michael Brown
A viral image supposedly showing Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson with a broken eye socket is actually of deceased motocross driver Jim McNeil. It was taken in 2006.
Terrorist Plot Targeting Black Friday Shoppers Uncovered - NationalReport.net
No, There Isn't a Terrorist Plot Targeting Black Friday Shoppers
Don't believe it. A fake news story originating from the satire website National Report claims an Al Qaeda splinter group is planning to attack American consumers on Black Friday 2014.
7th Annual 'Stand Up For Heroes' Event - Arrivals - Jemal Countess/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Did Bill Cosby Really Say Those Things on the Internet?
Viral rant attributed to Bill Cosby condemns Muslims, lazy poor people, global warming activists, drug addiction programs, and "the world these people made."
True Video - Giant python caught in the Red Sea! The world biggest Snake has been found in SAAD - Karaj (Iran) - Facebook.com
"Giant Python Caught in the Red Sea" Video Is a Scam
Scam posts purport to link to a video showing the 'world's biggest snake,' a python, found in Iran. No such snake exists. If the video exists, it's a hoax. Users should beware of prompts to download potentially dangerous software.
Snow Snake - Viral image
Check Out This "Real" Photo of a Deadly Snow Snake!
Viral image of a deadly 'snow snake,' whose bite, for which there is no known antidote, can freeze your blood and kill you!
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