Hoaxes and Odd News for October 18, 2014

Here is our recap of some of the hottest hoaxes, fake news, and bizarre real stories circulating online for October 18, 2014.

More Ebola Hoaxes

As we discussed in detail in yesterday’s recap, fake Ebola stories are all the rage on social media. Today we continue to see the “Ebo-Lie” post heavily shared. That article claims that Ebola is an elaborate hoax, yet cites no legitimate sources as evidence.

In addition to those discussed yesterday, today we have a trifecta of new Ebola scares:

Pentagon Ebola Hoax

The Department of Defense called in hazmat crews at the Pentagon after a woman fell ill and claimed to have been in Liberia recently. Officials later noted that the woman had not traveled to Africa and had apparently boarded the wrong bus to a ceremony for General Joe Dunford. The woman’s story forced the Pentagon to close pedestrian and vehicle traffic until the situation was sorted out. A background check revealed that the woman had recenly not left the Washington area.

Toledo Ebola Hoax

The University of Toledo Medical Center spent hours treating a potential Ebola patient before deeming the incident a hoax. The woman was being transported to the hospital when she told emergency workers that she had been in contact with a man from Nigeria who was a guest speaker at her church. After initially treating the woman’s low-grade fever as a possible Ebola case, the church’s pastor was contacted and verified that no such Nigerian guest speaker had spoken at the church. The doctor at the hospital noted that the woman was a “regular” to their E.R., and said, “…she made it up. It was a hoax.”

Cruise Ship Ebola Scare

Mexican authorities did not allow a Carnival cruise ship to dock in Cozumel on Friday because a passenger was quarantined in what was described as an ebola scare – even though she had no symptoms or signs of illness. The woman worked at the Dallas hospital where Thomas Duncan died of Ebola. Although she did not have contact with Duncan, and appeared healthy, the CDC’s revised requirements for monitoring of those who had potential contact with the virus compelled the woman to remain locked in her cabin with her husband. Carnival attempted to airlift the woman from Belize back to the United States. When that failed, the ship was forced to return to port.

Other Hoaxes, Scams, and Fake News

Italian Teen Lays on Train Track

A seemingly impossible video purports to show a teenager laying down on a train track, allowing a train to pass over him, before standing up and celebrating. After further analysis of the video, the Daily Mirror concluded that it was an “elaborate hoax” spliced together. A frame-by-frame dissection of the video shows that the teen’s feet slowly disappear just as the train approaches, meaning the video was created from two different clips.

National Muslim Appreciation Month

A fake news item from September 2013 is making its rounds again. That story from National Report claims that President Obama has proclaimed November to be “National Muslim Appreciation Month.” As November approaches, this story has seen increased sharing due to its outrageous headline. National Report, however, only publishes fake news in the name of satire.

Fake IRS Calls

The IRS is warning citizens to be on the lookout for fake phone calls alleging to be IRS agents demanding money. This appears to be an updated version which is nearly identical to their 2013 warning that we discussed here at the time. The scam is convincing because the crooks are spoofing legitimate IRS phone numbers that will show up on caller ID. The IRS notes that it typically initiates contact via mail, and never asks for payment information over the phone.

Kissing Islands of Greenland

A photo appears to show two land masses which, when seen from space, resembles two people kissing. Often described as the “Kissing Islands of Greenland,” the photo is actually a work of art. We originally discussed this photo back in August 2013, and contacted the artist at that time. He told us that it was a series of works for Pfizer, showing imaginary territories resembling humans. The photo often circulated with the Pfizer logo cropped out.