• The Top 25: Most popular topics of the past week
• Definitions: Hoax, rumor, urban legend
• How to Submit: Contribute a suspected hoax / legend
New & Updated as of 11/09/09:
'We Noticed' - Sherry Hackett's Letter to Obama
An open letter to Barack Obama attributed to Sherry Hackett, wife of deceased comedian Buddy Hackett, accuses the President of doing "more to destroy this nation than the attack on 9/11." (Added 11/09/09)
Ft. Hood Shooter Hasan Was on Obama's Homeland Security Transition Team
Online rumor claims that Nidal Hasan, who killed 14 people and wounded 30 during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas on Nov. 5, 2009, was a member of President Obama's Homeland Security transition team. (Added 11/07/09)
Noah Biorkman Christmas Card Request
Email chain letter requests Christmas cards for Noah Biorkman, a terminally ill 5-year-old in South Lyon, Michigan suffering from neuroblastoma cancer. (Added 11/06/09)
HR 615 - Congress and Health Care
Forwarded email trumpets an online petition favoring a House resolution urging all members of Congress to enroll in any new 'government-run' or 'public option' health care plan created by Congress. (Added 11/05/09)
The Obama Phone: Free Cell Phones for Welfare Recipients
Forwarded email claims the Obama administration has started a program whereby taxpayer money is being "redistributed" to provide free cell phones and service to welfare recipients. (Added 10/30/09)
The Clown Statue / The Clown Doll
A babysitter calls the parents she's working for to ask if she can cover up the disturbing "clown statue" in the room where she's watching TV. The parents tell her to call 911 immediately and get out of the house! (Added 10/28/09)
Swine Flu Prevention Tips
Forwarded email attributed to various Indian physicians as well as America's "Dr. Oz" purports to give sound advice on preventing H1N1 swine flu. (Added 10/27/09)
Onions and Flu
Forwarded email claims placing sliced onions around the home will "collect" or "absorb" any flu virus present and protect members of the household from coming down with influenza. (Added 10/23/09)
'Gang Initiation Week' Begins Oct. 21
Twitter and text message warnings claim 140 women will be targeted for murder during "gang initiation week." (Added 10/21/09)
Kanye West Is Dead
Messages circulating via text message, Twitter, and social media claim Kanye West died in an auto accident. (Added 10/21/09)
Rush Limbaugh Slavery Quote
"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: Slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back. I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark." (Added 10/15/09)
Exploding Pyrex
Forwarded email claims Pyrex dishes manufactured in the U.S. during the past 25 years may break or "explode" during use due to changes in its formulation. (Added 10/13/09)
Religious Ornaments Banned on White House Christmas Trees
Forwarded email claims the Obamas will have 'holiday trees' instead of Christmas trees in the White House this year, and no ornaments with religious themes will be allowed. (Added 10/07/09)
Amber Alert Hoax: License Plate 98B351
Currently circulating in several states, text and Twitter messages claim a 3-year-old boy was abducted by a man driving a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse. (Added 10/05/09)
Islam on Capitol Hill / Muslim Day of Prayer
Forwarded emails express alarm that a Muslim Day of Prayer with an estimated 50,000 Muslims attending has been announced for Washington, D.C. on September 25, 2009. (Added 09/25/09)
Montgomery County Animal Shelter Closing
Rumors of the imminent closure of an animal shelter in Montgomery County, Texas has caused confusion in other areas of the country. (Added 09/23/09)
'The President Without a Country' by Pat Boone
Emailed article attributed to American entertainer Pat Boone chastises President Obama for saying the United States is "no longer a Christian nation." (Added 09/16/09)
Facebook 'Fan Check' Virus
Rumor circulating among Facebook users claims the popular third-party application Fan Check should be avoided because it allegedly downloads a virus to your computer. (Added 09/14/09)
Tiger Woods Inauguration Speech
Email flier quotes golfer Tiger Woods' speech during a pre-inaugural ceremony for President Obama on January 18, 2009 and praises him for saluting the nation's military instead of the President-elect himself. (Added 09/10/09)
Matt Damon Is Dead
Internet reports say actor Matt Damon died while camping alone in southern California's Palo Verde Mountains. (Added 09/09/09)
Glenn Beck Raped, Murdered Young Girl in 1990?
Online rumor insinuates right-wing talk show host Glenn Beck may be guilty of rape and murder. (Added 09/03/09)
Chupacabra Found!
Photos and video document specimens of what some people believe to be chupacabras (Spanish for "goat suckers"), mythical creatures described in Latin American lore as panther- or reptile-like bipeds with large fangs, forked tongues, and sharp spines protruding from their backs. (Added 09/02/09)
Video: Michael Jackson Is Alive
YouTube video appears to show a very-much-alive Michael Jackson hopping out of a coroner's van in a Los Angeles parking garage. (Added 09/01/09)
Sam Bish Prayer Request
Chain email contains a prayer request for 8-year-old Sam Bish (Samuel Gordon Bish) of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer known as Osteosarcoma (bone cancer). (Added 09/01/09)
Avi Ben Stella Prayer Request
A viral prayer request circulating on Facebook and Twitter asks for prayers on behalf of a 12-year-old boy named Avi Ben Stella, who is allegedly in a coma after a serious car crash. (Added 08/26/09)
Michelle Obama's Staff
Emailed article castigates First Lady Michelle Obama for requiring a paid staff of more than 20 people, claiming she has an 'unprecedented' number of "attendants." (Added 08/18/09)
Lady Gaga Is a Hermaphrodite
An online concert video appears to show a little "something extra" peeking out from under Lady Gaga's miniskirt. (Added 08/10/09)
