These 12 Internet Hoaxes Had Everyone Questioning What Was Real and What Was Fake

If you’ve fallen for an internet hoax, you’re not alone. While some are playful jokes or even thought-out marketing ploys, others can be incredibly dangerous. According to the FBI’s 2020 Internet Crime Report, submissions to the Internet Crime Complaint Center increased 69.4 percent between 2019 and 2020. Internet hoaxes are notorious because they often involve scamming people out of money, installing viruses on their computers, or worse. But others may just leave you questioning what you can or should believe.

Viral hoaxes are meant to leave you questioning reality—and wanting to come back for more. Falling for one doesn’t make you stupid or gullible, especially as hoaxes get more and more sophisticated. And whether or not a hoax has been debunked or not, there are still some people out there who are firm believers in them and some other crazy conspiracy theories. Take a look at these 12 internet hoaxes and ask yourself if you would fall for them today.