Hoax Debunkings

Stolen Child Hoax Coupled With Real-World Anti-Kidnapping Program

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An urban legend about a kidnapped child has been combined with a true story about Wal-Mart’s “Code Adam” program to create a horrifying half-truth-filled e-mail. The first part of the e-mail is a decades-old urban legend: a child is separated from her mother in a large department store. Terrified, she alerts story employees, who in … Read more

Internet Access Charge Hoax Refuses to Die

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A long-running hoax claims that Congress wants to slap a charge on Internet access, forcing users to pay up every time they log on. It’s a sibling of sorts to the notorious “602P” e-mail that claims the U.S. Postal Service is trying to implement a 5-cent charge on e-mail, and like that other hoax, it’s … Read more