1. HIV+ Needles Hidden Under Gas Pump Handles
Viral alert warns that evildoers are exposing unsuspecting victims to the AIDS virus by attaching HIV-contaminated needles to gas pump handles. Status: False
2. Hoax Quiz: Spot the Fakes!
Put your hoax-spotting abilities to the test by taking our popular image quiz. It's harder than you think to separate the real from the fake! Status: Take the quiz!
3. Hercules, World's Biggest Dog (Photo)
Emailed image of a gargantuan dog named Hercules, purportedly the Guinness Record holder for World's Biggest Dog. Status: Fake
4. The Teacher and Little Teddy Stoddard
Inspirational story of little Teddy Stoddard, a disadvantaged child who blossomed under the influence of his teacher, Mrs. Thompson, and went on to become a successful doctor. Status: False
5. Adam Sandler Is Dead
Recurring social media rumors claim comic actor Adam Sandler died in a snowboard accident. Status: False
6. The Legend of Bloody Mary
Urban legend says if you stand in front of a mirror and chant "Bloody Mary" three times, a terrifying ghost will appear. Status: False
7. Facebook Privacy Settings
Viral wall postings purport to instruct Facebook members on how to change privacy settings so their comments and likes won't be publicly visible. Status: False
8. Sliced Onions Absorb Flu Germs
Forwarded email claims sliced onions placed around the home will "collect" or "absorb" any flu virus present and protect the household from influenza. Status: False
9. Vicks VapoRub on Feet Relieves Coughing
Viral message claims that coughing in children can be stopped "100% of the time" by applying "Vicks Vapor Rub" to the bottoms of their feet and covering the feet with socks at bedtime. Status: See details
10. New Promotional Pepsi Can Omits 'Under God' in Pledge Excerpt
Baseless email campaign protests the alleged omission of the words "under God" in an excerpt from the Pledge of Allegiance supposedly featured on new Pepsi cans. Status: False
11. The Clown Statue
A babysitter calls the parents who hired her to ask if she can cover up the clown statue in the room where she's watching TV because it disturbs her. The parents tell her to call 911, grab the children, and get out of the house immediately! Status: False
12. Leftover Onions Are Poisonous
Forwarded email claims that uncooked, leftover onions are "poisonous" because they're a "huge magnet for bacteria," therefore especially prone to spoilage. Status: False
13. Jamie Lee Curtis Is a Hermaphrodite
Longstanding rumors say actress Jamie Lee Curtis was born with male sex organs and underwent a sex change operation as an infant. Status: Dubious
14. Richard Gere and the Gerbil
Several years ago, "they" say, Richard Gere was admitted into the emergency room of a Los Angeles hospital with a foreign object lodged in his rectum: a gerbil. Status: False
15. Mr. Rogers Was a Marine Sniper / Navy SEAL
Internet rumors allege that mild-mannered children's TV show host Fred Rogers had a former secret career as a trained assassin. Status: False
16. Humans Can Lick, Too
Home alone, but there's nothing to fear with your trusty dog keeping watch under the bed. Or is there? Status: Urban legend
17. Origin of the F-Word
In which we are asked to believe that the word "fuck" originated as the acronym of "Fornication Under Consent of the King," "Fornication Under Command of the King," "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge," or some other variation thereof. Status: False
18. Burundanga Drug Warning
Viral alerts warn of criminals using business cards or pieces of paper impregnated with a potent street drug called burundanga (aka scopolamine) to incapacitate victims before attacking them. Status: Mostly false
19. Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn on the Light?
After coming home late and getting ready for bed in the dark, a college coed wakes up the next morning to receive the shock of her life. Status: False
20. The Two-Striped Telamonia Spider
Viral text warns of the Two-Striped Telamonia spider (Telamonia dimidiata), purportedly a poisonous specimen from Indonesia that hides under toilet seats and is responsible for the deaths of five people in North Florida. Status: False
21. Bill Gates' 11 Rules of Life
Circulating via email, the text of a speech allegedly given by Bill Gates in which he sets out 11 rules for life that kids won't learn in school. Status: Misattributed
22. The Definition of 'Dork'
According to the Internet, the true and original meaning of the word "dork" is "whale penis." Status: False
23. The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs
A teenage babysitter calls the police after receiving prank calls from a creepy stranger who keeps inquiring after the welfare of the children. Status: False
24. Cell Phone Numbers Going Public
Viral messages warn that a directory of cell phone numbers is about to be published and users should dial 888-382-1222 to list mobile numbers with the Do Not Call Registry to prevent telemarketing calls. Status: Mostly false
25. Carmen Winstead
Chain-letter-style Internet postings tell the story of Carmen Winstead, a 17-year-old girl supposedly pushed down a sewer and killed by a gang of girls from her school. Status: False
Newly Added/Updated:
1. Facebook Closed for Maintenance Feb. 29th - 31st
Prank posting says Facebook will be closed for maintenance on the nonexistent dates of Feb. 29th, 30th, and 31st, 2013. Status: False
2. 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 previously. Status: Apparently authentic
3. Ann Coulter Refuses to Board Plane with Black Pilot
"News article" shared via social media claims conservative pundit Ann Coulter refused to board a commercial airline flight after learning the pilot was African American. Status: False
