Thousands share fake appeal for missing child ‘Sofia’
A picture of a different child has been used in a hoax appeal shared widely on Facebook. Read
Fact checks
Sarah Turnnidge
Fact Checker (former)
Sarah previously worked for HuffPost UK, and before that worked in local newsrooms including the Bristol Post, the Essex Echo and the Thurrock Independent.
Titanic shipwreck far deeper than cropped video might suggest
The wreckage of the famous ship is almost four kilometres below sea level. Read
Fact checks
No evidence audio clip is ‘banging’ noises from Titan sub
A Facebook reel, shared hundreds of times, claims to feature audio from the lost submersible. Read
Fact checks
Video of ‘explosion in Paris’ was actually filmed in Russia in 2020
A dramatic video shared on social media shows a huge fireball rising over a busy road. Read
Fact checks
Education
No evidence for MP’s claim 100,000 ‘ghost kids’ disappeared from school rolls in pandemic
Bob Seely MP made the claim during a debate in parliament. Read
Fact checks
Wetherspoons is not giving away free meals for two on Facebook
The company has confirmed that the post, shared more than 10,000 times online, is not genuine. Read
Fact checks
Police can’t automatically track your location if you press 55 during a 999 call
A claim about “new technology” has been shared more than 38,000 times, but isn’t correct. Read
Fact checks
Police don’t advise smashing car windows to rescue dogs in hot weather
Tens of thousands of people have shared inaccurate information about the law on rescuing dogs from hot cars. Read
Fact checks
Sunken ice isn’t a reliable way to spot if your drink’s been spiked
Viral social media posts are warning people to watch for ice sinking in their drink—but if it’s been spiked, ice will usually still float. Read
Fact checks
Hoax posts about dog bitten by rattlesnake shared widely online
The pictures used in the post have been circulating online for years. Read
Fact checks
