Hoaxes and Odd News for October 21, 2014

A one-stop rundown of all the hottest fake news, hoaxes, and odd stories for October 21, 2014.

Featured: Dead Man Mistaken for Halloween Prop, and Vice-Versa

It didn’t happen in 2014…

A “satire” piece by fake news website Empire News claims that a 71-year old man passed away inside a haunted house in Waukegan, Illinois, but went unnoticed when visitors believed the man was simply a Halloween decoration. Empire News publishes only false and shocking news, and has been the source of many fake viral stories in recent months. This story is not true, and is merely a work of fiction.

…but it did happen in 2009

The current Halloween-themed work of fiction by Empire News was perhaps inspired by a real event which occurred back in 2009. As reported by the New York Times, a 75 year old man was found draped over the patio furniture on his balcony. The man had been shot in the eye, and remained dead on his patio for five days. Residents did not report the gruesome scene, because they thought the man was a Halloween prop. “He looked fake,” a neighbor told the media. Another resident noted, “…it really did not look like a real person up there.”

…and almost in 2013

There have also been several reports in recent years of realistic Halloween props scaring neighbors into calling the police, with the belief that a horrific accident had taken place. In 2013, an Oklahoma man was visited by emergency workers who had a call to report an “accident” which was actually just a gruesome Halloween decoration in his driveway.

 

Watch a video report of that event below.

News9.com – Oklahoma City, OK – News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Other Fake News

A National Report article reports that 17 Texas Kindergarteners contracted Ebola after being exposed to a a Liberian foreign exchange student. National Report publishes only fake news, and has posted many false Ebola stories in recent weeks. The false report states that a substitute teacher named Lindsay Belknap was working with the children at the time they were exposed to Ebola. The photo used in the article, which allegedly shows the “intense scene” outside of the hospital, can also be found in a 2013 meme which circulated on Twitter.

Yesterday’s “Banksy Arrested” fake news story continued to receive heavy residual social media sharing on Tuesday, although most people by now have figured out that the story was fake.

True Odd News

In the “you can’t make this stuff up” department…

My Husband, Jesus Christ, Will Pick Up the Tab

An Oklahoma woman was arrested after telling restaurant managers that she couldn’t pay her tab, which included “several alcholic drinks,” but that her husband would pay the bill. Her husband, she claimed, happened to be Jesus Christ, and would be arriving soon to clear up the bill in cash. When her “husband” didn’t show up, the woman was arrested on a complaint of fraud.

Recurring Hoaxes

Facebook Charging or Shutting Down

Two similar ongoing Facebook hoaxes are receiving more activity this week. One version claims that Facebook is shutting down on November 15 due to overpopulation. This hoax recirculates several times per year, each time with the date changing. The other recurring Facebook hoax states that the social media giant will begin charging a $2.99 monthly fee. Despite circulating for several years, this hoax is not true.