hoax

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Jussie Smollett Stunner: Court Overturns Conviction

Illinois Supreme Court rules in case of actor's alleged hoax attack in 2019

(Newser) - A big surprise in the case of actor Jussie Smollett : The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned his conviction on allegations that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago in 2019, per the AP . The Chicago Sun-Times calls it a "blockbuster" decision "that will...

In Hoax Suit, Judge Grants Award to Injured Man, Daughter

TV producer still argues bombing at Ariana Grande concert didn't happen

(Newser) - A father and daughter seriously injured by a suicide bomber who killed 22 people after an Ariana Grande concert in England in 2017 were awarded $58,000 on Friday in a case against a former television producer who claimed the attack was a hoax. Martin Hibbert and his daughter, Eve,...

Russia Blamed for Polling Place Bomb Hoaxes

'They're up to mischief, it seems,' says Georgia's secretary of state

(Newser) - Voting was interrupted at multiple locations Tuesday because of bomb threats the FBI has linked to Russia. "The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains," the agency said in a statement, per the...

Thousands Show for AI-Driven Halloween Hoax

Crowds turned up in Dublin for nonexistent parade promoted by artificial intelligence listing

(Newser) - "Chaos on the streets of Dublin" isn't the lyric to a new Smiths song—it's one of many headlines circulating after a listing popped up on an AI-generated website for a Halloween parade that never existed. The Independent reports that the promotion popped up on the My...

Irked Sheriff Posts 11-Year-Old's Mugshot

Florida's Mike Chitwood is sick of false school-shooting threats

(Newser) - A Florida sheriff fed up with a spate of false school-shooting threats is trying a new tactic to get through to students and their parents: He's posting the mugshot of any offender on social media. Law enforcement officials across the country have seen a wave of school shooting hoaxes...

Utah's Transgender Bathroom Tip Line Doesn't Go as Planned

Instead of legit reports, activists flood it with thousands of hoaxes

(Newser) - Transgender activists have flooded a Utah tip line created to alert state officials to possible violations of a new bathroom law with thousands of hoax reports. As the AP reports, it's an effort to shield trans residents and their allies from any legitimate complaints that could lead to an...

Appeals Court Delivers Its Decision to Jussie Smollett

Illinois judges uphold actor's conviction on hate crime hoax; he'll appeal to state Supreme Court

(Newser) - It's bad news for Jussie Smollett , the former Empire actor who was found guilty in 2021 of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report about an alleged hate crime against him in Chicago. An Illinois appeals court on Friday upheld his conviction, and his five-month jail sentence, after...

Bankrolled Poker Player: 'I Did Lie About Having Colon Cancer'

GoFundMe shuts down Rob Mercer, who now says he might have another kind of cancer

(Newser) - An amateur staked to a spot in the World Series of Poker Main Event by sympathetic donors after saying he was suffering from a terminal illness has admitted to making up the sob story. That was wrong, said Rob Mercer of Vallejo, California. "I did lie about having colon...

Alabama Woman Charged With Falsely Reporting Kidnapping

Carlee Russell claimed she was taken after seeing toddler by road

(Newser) - An Alabama woman who has acknowledged making up a story that she was kidnapped along an interstate after stopping to help a child has been charged in the case, officials said Friday. Carlee Russell faces two misdemeanor counts, false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, that could...

FBI: 'Bomb' at Northeastern Was a Staffer's Hoax

Jason Duhaime, 45, of Texas has been arrested and charged

(Newser) - Reports that an explosion last month at Northeastern University may have been staged are correct, according to the FBI. NBC News reports the law enforcement agency announced Tuesday that Jason Duhaime of Texas, who claimed he'd been injured in the Sept. 13 incident, has been arrested and charged with...

Someone Tried to Kill Argentina's VP. Many Don't Believe It

Conspiracy theories abound amid probe into assassination attempt on Cristina Fernandez

(Newser) - At least three people have been arrested over the assassination attempt against Argentina Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner earlier this month, and the investigation is ongoing, but some now think that probe may be a wild goose chase of sorts. As the New York Times frames it: "A...

'Cruel Prank' Led to Panic at Florida High School

Students will face charges, possible expulsion

(Newser) - A shooting scare at a central Florida high school was a "cruel prank" carried out by two groups of students who now face criminal charges and possible expulsion, police said. Rumors, lies, and conspiracy theories have been "floating around" on social media since Friday's lockdown at Mainland...

Inside the 'Real Tragedy' of Manti Te'o Catfish Hoax

Netflix doc shows 'just how easy it was for him to get hoodwinked,' writes SI's Jimmy Traina

(Newser) - In 2013, the sports world was turned upside down when Deadspin reported that the girlfriend of Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o, who was said to have died of leukemia, didn't exist . Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who has since come out as a trans woman named Naya, admitted to creating...

His 'Deep Space' Image Wasn't Quite What It Seemed

Physicist clarifies after posting joke image of chorizo

(Newser) - A French physicist who received thousands of likes on a tweeted photo he claimed was from the James Webb Space Telescope has admitted the photo actually showed a very detailed slice of chorizo sausage. Etienne Klein, a director at France's Atomic Energy Commission, apologized after claiming the image of...

GoFundMe Scammer Pleads Guilty a Second Time
GoFundMe Scammer
Sentenced to a Year in Prison
UPDATED
Jul 22, 2022 3:01 AM CDT

GoFundMe Scammer Sentenced to a Year in Prison

Katelyn McClure could get more time on state charges

(Newser) - Update: New Jersey woman Katelyn McClure has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for her role in a 2017 GoFundMe scam. McClure, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution, the Department of Justice says. The 32-year-old could face more prison...

British Man's False Teeth Story Fails the Reality Check

This bizarre, funny story may serve best as a lesson in good journalism

(Newser) - In early February, the story of Paul Bishop’s false teeth swept the British media and much of the globe. Nobody could resist the story. It offers humor, mystery, and the reassurance that there are diligent, honorable lab technicians looking out for us. The story also makes for catchy headlines....

Man Going to Prison for Post About COVID, Grocery Stores

He falsely said an infected person was licking groceries

(Newser) - A Texas man who posted a COVID-19 hoax on social media in the weeks after the pandemic was declared will spend the next 15 months in federal prison. FBI agents in San Antonio launched an investigation in April 2020 after authorities were sent a screenshot of a Facebook post in...

Up to 5K Turned Out for Hoax Concert. It Did Not End Well

Belgian police officer hospitalized after clashes in Brussels

(Newser) - An April Fools' joke in Belgium did not go over well Thursday as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd that had gathered to attend a concert, which turned out to be a hoax. An announcement posted to Facebook in March promised a slate of famous...

TV Anchor Quit for Harvard Job. Then She Noticed 'Anomalies'
TV Anchor Quit for Harvard Job.
Then She Noticed 'Anomalies'
in case you missed it
Jan 23, 2021 3:35 PM CST

TV Anchor Quit for Harvard Job. Then She Noticed 'Anomalies'

Nidhi Razdan of NDTV says she fell victim to a 'sophisticated and coordinated phishing attack'

(Newser) - Nidhi Razdan spent 21 years as the lead anchor of India's NDTV, which one might think would give her the chops to take on a position as an associate professor of journalism at Harvard. In fact, in June she said she was giving up her job to do that...

Ohio Man Sentenced for Impersonating Missing Boy

Prosecutors said Brian Rini caused Timmothy Pitzen's family 'enormous pain'

(Newser) - An Ohio man who caused fresh heartbreak for the family of a long-missing boy has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for aggravated identity theft. Brian Rini, now 25, was 23 years old when he claimed to be 14-year-old Timmothy Pitzen , an Illinois boy who has been missing since...

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