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Facebook Rumors & Hoaxes

A comprehensive listing of rumors and hoaxes on and/or about the social networking service Facebook. (To submit suspicious postings for investigation click here.)

5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays in July

A version of the "Money Bags" chain letter. Supposedly a phenomenon that only occurs once every 823 years, July 2011 had 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays.

5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays in October

A version of the "Money Bags" chain letter. Supposedly a phenomenon that only occurs once every 823 years, October 2011 will have 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays, and 5 Mondays.

14-Year-Old Boy Beaten Half Dead by Stepfather

Text accompanying viral image of a 14-year-old boy allegedly "beaten half dead" by his stepfather claims Facebook will donate 45 cents every time the posting is shared toward defraying medical expenses.

52 Thoroughbred Horses Need Homes

Viral Facebook posting claims 52 unwanted thoroughbred horses will be slaughtered unless people volunteer to give them homes.

100 Facebook Shares to Help Boy Get Free Heart Transplant?

Viral wall postings claim a little boy will receive a free heart transplant if a photo of him is shared 100 times.

Amber Alert '06 Mitsubishi Eclipse Plate #98B351

Hoax circulating via Facebook, Twitter, and text message falsely claims a 3-year-old boy was abducted by a man driving a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, license plate number 98B351.

Amber Alert Grey Car Plate #72B 381

Hoax message claims a 3-year-old child was abducted by a man driving a grey car, Quebec license plate #72B 381 (or Q72B381).

Amy Bruce Chain Letter

The sad, untrue story of 7-year-old lung cancer victim Amy Bruce — another Internet 'dying child' who doesn't really exist.

Anthrax in Tide Detergent Samples

Circulating on Facebook, online rumor claims seven people have died after receiving anthrax-contaminated Tide samples in the mail.

Audrin King Prayer Request

Circulating on Facebook and Twitter, a prayer request for 2-year-old "Audrin King" (actually Audri Kate King), who has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

Bobby Roberts Hacker Warning

Viral alert circulating on Facebook warns users not to accept friend requests from Bobby Roberts, an alleged hacker.

Capri Sun Mold Warning

Viral image shows a glob of mold found in a pouch of Capri Sun fruit drink in Feb. 2013. Similar incidents have been reported before.

'Charlie Sheen Found Dead at Home' Clickjacking Scam

Links to a nonexistent video entitled "Charlie Sheen Found Dead at Home" have prompted the circulation of warnings that the links contain a "virus." Security experts say it's a clickjacking scam.

Christmas Cards for Dalton Dingus

Circulating via social media, a chain letter requesting Christmas cards for 9-year-old Dalton Dingus, a terminally ill cystic fibrosis patient who hopes to set a Guinness World Record for most Christmas cards received.

Christmas Tree App Virus

Wall postings warn of a supposed "worst ever trojan-virus" circulating in the form of a Facebook application.

'Clarissa' Chain Letter

Chain letter tells the story of Clarissa, a little girl placed in a mental hospital for killing her mother and father.

Derek Wyatt, Fallen Marine

Facebook status updates call for honoring fallen U.S. Marine Cpl. Derek Wyatt, who was killed in Afghanistan, leaving behind a wife and newborn son.

Diego Méndez Prayer Request

Prayer chain letter circulating via Facebook and Twitter requests prayers for Diego Mendez, a 5-year-old boy said to be critically injured when a TV set fell on his head.

Dog Park Alert: Nails in Cheese

Viral image replicating on Facebook purports to document a 'new trend' at dog parks, namely people leaving cheese and ham mixed with nails to cause injury and death to pets.

'Everyone's Phone Numbers Are Now on Facebook'

Viral wall postings claim Facebook has suddenly made all members' phone numbers accessible to the public.

Facebook Attempting to Ban Nativity Picture?

Viral wall posting claims Facebook is asking members to remove a picture of the nativity scene because it's "offensive."

Facebook Cartoon Profile Pic Fad Was Started by Pedophiles

Fast-spreading rumor claims the idea of replacing Facebook profile photos with pictures of cartoon characters was started by pedophiles.

Facebook to Charge a Monthly Fee

Online postings claim the social media website Facebook is about to start charging members a monthly fee for basic services.

Facebook Closed for Maintenance Feb. 29th to 31st

Prank posting says Facebook will be closed for maintenance on the nonexistent dates of Feb. 29th, 30th, and 31st, 2013.

Facebook Copyright Notice

Viral text containing legalese about privacy and copyright purports to protect Facebook members against use and distribution of their content.

Facebook Deleting Inactive Users

Chain message circulating on Facebook claims the service is overpopulated and "unacceptably slow," so members must prove they're still active by reposting or forwarding the message to others.

Facebook Privacy Settings

Viral wall postings purport to explain steps Facebook members can take to protect the privacy of their comments and likes.

Facebook Shutting Down on March 15, 2011

Online rumor claims Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the site will be shutting down on March 15, 2011.

Facebook 'Stalker' Apps

Scam messages and wall postings purport to offer an app that reveals who is "stalking" you or "creeping around your profile" on Facebook.

Facebook to Start Charging this Summer

Chain message claims Facebook plans on charging everyone but those who spread the message a fee for basic services beginning this summer.

Gerber Banana Baby Food Recall

Rumor claims jars of Gerber Banana Baby Food with 2012 expiration date should be returned because they may contain glass.

'Girl Killed Herself on Halloween' Scam

Scam Facebook postings tout video of a girl who supposedly killed herself on Halloween. Links redirect users to a survey page.

'Girl Who Killed Herself' Virus

Circulating on Facebook: warnings that wall postings about a girl who committed suicide contain a devastating computer virus.

Hackers Post Porn Movies in Members' Profiles

Viral wall posting claims hackers are gaining control of Facebook members' accounts and posting links to pornographic movies on their profile pages.

Harly A. Andrews Prayer Request

Prayer chain letter circulating via Facebook and Twitter requests prayers for Harly A. Andrews (also spelled Harley A. Andrews), a 5-year-old said to be in intensive care after being injured in an automobile accident.

Help Save Infant Burn Victim

Viral medical appeal for infant burn victim claims Facebook will donate $3 for every share, $1 for every like. It's a hoax.

Help Save Baby with Cancer

According to wall postings, members can help save a kid with eye cancer by passing along the message, for which Facebook will pay one dollar per share.

'Invitation Facebook' Virus Warning

Viral alerts warn users to avoid opening messages with an attachment called 'INVITATION FACEBOOK' which supposedly contains a virus that opens an Olympic torch and "burns your hard drive."

Kayla Scott Prayer Request

Viral prayer request circulating on behalf of "Kayla Scott" (and several other names) claims a 22-month-old boy was critically injured while playing with a brad nailer (nail gun).

Linda Smith / Jason Lee / Amy Allen 'Virus' Warning

Hoax message circulating among Facebook users warns that accepting friend requests from members named Linda Smith, Jason Lee, Jason Allen, Amy Allen (and others) will cause a virus to be downloaded to your computer.

Photo Tagging 'Virus'

A "new" viral message warns Facebook users of a virus supposedly transmitted when you receive a notification that you've been tagged in a picture and click on a link to see it.

Profile Hacker Warning

Viral rumor warns that hackers are stealing profile pictures to create fake Facebook accounts and impersonate other members.

'Spider Growing Under Skin' Clickjacking Scam

Phoney status updates purport to link to a video showing a spider growing under someone's skin. It's actually a self-replicating survey scam.

Starbucks Gift Card Scam

Scam wall postings promise free Starbucks gift cards to users who share the offer with friends.

Switch to Pink, Gold, Black or Red Profile Color

Wall posts offering Facebook members a "Limited Time!" opportunity to change their profile to include a gold, black, pink, or red logo are a scam designed to redirect traffic to online survey sites

Tim Hortons Gift Card Scam

Scam wall postings promise free Tim Hortons gift cards to users who share the offer with friends.

Tipsy Tow

Viral postings tout a New Year's Eve service provided by AAA called "Tipsy Tow," a free alternative to drinking and driving.

'Tsunami Whale Video' Clickjacking Scam

Beware of Wall postings inviting you to view a "graphic video" of a whale smashed against a building by the March 11 tsunami in Japan.

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