Posts warning a killer is on the loose are false
The posts feature an image of a man who is allegedly on the run in connection with the incident, but this is not true. Read
Fact checks
Hoaxes
We find, fact check and explain hoaxes, helping you sort facts from false claims online.
No, photos don’t show baby boy abandoned in UK towns
Facebook posts claiming this are a hoax and use photos from an incident in California in 2023. Read
Fact checks
Facebook hoax posts share old photos with claims women found ‘stabbed’ by canals in UK towns
The posts were shared in local community groups and used photos of hospitalised women alongside claims they were recently found in a ‘critical condition’. Read
Fact checks
Facebook warnings about attacks by a man ‘on the run’ are fake
Posts shared to local buy and sell groups falsely claim a man has been attacking people in various locations in England. The man pictured was arrested in the US state of Alabama earlier this month. Read
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Facebook warnings about roaming ‘serial killer’ are fake
Posts shared to local buy and sell groups falsely claim a man has been shooting people dead. The man pictured in the posts was arrested in Mexico last year. Read
Fact checks
Hoax lost dog picture recirculates online
The images have been shared into numerous local Facebook groups with false claims they show a recently rescued dog. Read
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Facebook ‘lost man’ post shares photo of dementia patient who died in 2019
The post claims to show an elderly man who recently showed up lost at a house in Guisborough in North Yorkshire, but this is a hoax. Read
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Warning about ‘Strawberry Quick’ drug is a ‘hoax’
West Midlands Police have said a warning circulating online about a drug supposedly being given to children is not based on a genuine message from them. Read
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Facebook posts about ‘found’ boy taken to police station are hoaxes
The posts have been shared in Facebook community groups across the UK, each claiming the little boy has been found locally. Read
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Photo of Washington DC air crash victim used in UK hoax posts
The photo is being shared in Facebook posts claiming to show a police officer who has gone missing in different parts of the UK. Read
Fact checks