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Viral claims, checked

Is it true, or is it crazy bullshit?

Miracle cures, AI fakes, too-good money tips and stories too weird to be real. We round up what independent fact-checkers found, in plain words, with the receipts linked.

Play: call it See all 77 claims

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Read the claim. Bullshit or legit? Then see what the fact-checkers found.

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Every claim

67 bullshit, 10 surprisingly legit.

Crazy bullshit

Tobacco cures polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), a common hormonal condition affecting women.

Health and wellness · checked by AAP FactCheck
Crazy bullshit

Physicist Albert Einstein failed maths during his school years.

History myths · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A real video shows a woman kicking a cyclist in the head after he had been harassing pedestrians.

AI fakes · checked by Lead Stories
Crazy bullshit

Toby Carvery is giving a free carvery for two to everyone who likes a video and comments "Yorkie" for National Yorkshire Pudding Week.

Money scams · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

A video shows a plane at Riyadh airport exploding after being hit by a missile.

AI fakes · checked by AAP FactCheck
Crazy bullshit

A video shows geckos being dried and ground up on a factory line to make instant noodles.

Food · checked by AAP FactCheck
True

The Kmart retail chain sold pet monkeys in the 1960s.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Surprisingly true

Tesla posted real videos showing its new Roadster "flying" and performing mid-air stunts at a launch event.

Tech and gadgets · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

The vitamin K shot given to newborns thickens the blood and stops stem cells from circulating.

Health and wellness · checked by Science Feedback
Crazy bullshit

Albert Einstein once said, "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

History myths · checked by Snopes
Half bullshit

Federally approved "lab-grown" eggs went on sale in the US in October 2026, and brands were secretly adding them to products.

Food · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin broke down in tears in an interview and said, "The moon is not what you think."

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows a monkey rescuing a dog from floodwaters in Thailand by pulling it onto a floating log.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
True

There are road signs in Japan warning drivers that cats may jump out into traffic.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

After John Wayne died, bank records revealed he had secretly bought 1,200 foreclosed homes for homeless Vietnam veterans.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Wearing sunglasses causes cancer because blocking sunlight from your eyes stops your body from protecting your skin.

Health and wellness · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

There will be a rare "two-moon night" on 29 September 2026, when a second moon shares the sky with ours.

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

An Auckland orthopaedic surgeon has developed a device to treat joint pain, as promoted in social media ads.

Money scams · checked by AAP FactCheck
Crazy bullshit

To celebrate its birthday, Morrisons is giving a free food box to everyone who likes and comments "Box" on a Facebook post.

Money scams · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

Security camera images show a chimpanzee leaving its enclosure to pull a zookeeper away from an electrical cabinet that had shocked him.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Cancer is part of the body's healing response: tumours are bags that collect toxins, and biopsies release those toxins back into the body.

Health and wellness · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

If you fill out a short form on Currys' website, you can get a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer for £10.

Money scams · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

Fox News reported that Fred Savage, the actor from The Wonder Years, had died at the age of 50.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Lead Stories
Crazy bullshit

UK bank Monzo has officially launched its own online casino app called Monzo Slots.

Money scams · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

The 1986 Challenger shuttle disaster was faked, and it has been proven in court that the astronauts are still alive.

Science and space · checked by Full Fact
True

An aerial photo shows a real circular "experimental forestry" project in Japan, with trees planted in concentric rings.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows people panicking as Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupts in September 2026.

AI fakes · checked by BOOM
Crazy bullshit

A black bear carried a wounded raccoon, and later a fox, to the wildlife centre where it had once been treated.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Catching an HPV infection is a common side effect of the HPV vaccine.

Health and wellness · checked by AAP FactCheck
Crazy bullshit

Bunnings will charge charities and football clubs a $150 site fee to hold sausage sizzles outside its stores.

Food · checked by AAP FactCheck
True

In 2016, a Faroese woman strapped cameras to sheep to map the Faroe Islands after Google left them off Street View.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Mostly bullshit

Black seed oil is the most anti-inflammatory food in the world, and one teaspoon reduces joint inflammation better than ibuprofen.

Food · checked by Science Feedback
Crazy bullshit

Yellowstone National Park rangers warned visitors that ravens had learned to open car doors.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Surprisingly true

Actor Gary Sinise has taken more than 1,000 children of fallen US service members to Disney theme parks free of charge.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

An image shows a giant spider-shaped rock formation on the surface of Mars.

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Lemons are not a naturally occurring fruit because humans created them by crossing a bitter orange with a citron.

Food · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A photo shows a "ring of fire" total solar eclipse at its peak over Stonehenge.

AI fakes · checked by Full Fact
True

Albert Einstein married his cousin, Elsa Einstein.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A leaked NASA document called "Project Anchor" revealed that Earth would lose gravity for seven seconds on 12 August 2026.

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Half bullshit

It's dangerous to shower during a thunderstorm, and people have been killed or injured while doing so.

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows the upper stage of a SpaceX rocket smashing into the Moon on 5 August 2026 and throwing up a plume of dust.

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows that the boba pearls in milk and fruit tea drinks are made from rabbit droppings.

Food · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A street interview video shows a woman explaining she still uses cash to keep her purchases private from banks and governments.

AI fakes · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

A military dog named Face received the Medal of Honor after saving five soldiers from a burning tank in Iraq.

History myths · checked by Snopes
Half bullshit

In 1884, P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants across the Brooklyn Bridge to prove the structure was safe.

History myths · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A Messenger message says Meta detected "unusual activity" and will disable your account unless you open a PDF link.

Tech and gadgets · checked by Snopes
Half bullshit

A video shows a man destroying Flock surveillance cameras in the United States.

Tech and gadgets · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A new Facebook rule starting "tomorrow" gives Meta the rights to users' photos unless they share a protective message.

Tech and gadgets · checked by Snopes
Mostly bullshit

Sleeping with a fan on and blowing at you all night is "extremely dangerous."

Health and wellness · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A major scientific study found that using sunscreen "massively increases" your risk of skin cancers, including melanoma.

Health and wellness · checked by Snopes
Half bullshit

Norway's men's football team took 2,000 pounds of food and its own chefs to the 2026 World Cup to avoid eating American food.

Food · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Actor Ryan Reynolds donated the $27 million he earned from the 2016 film "Deadpool" to Parkinson's disease research.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Snopes
True

A YouTube video authentically shows interviews with people who were born in the 1800s.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Half bullshit

Side-by-side photos show identical twins, one of whom smoked and sunbathed for 16 years while the other did not.

Health and wellness · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows bees swarming a motorcycle's fuel tank as it is filled with E85 ethanol fuel at a petrol pump.

Tech and gadgets · checked by BOOM
Crazy bullshit

WhatsApp offers a premium version of its app called "WhatsApp Gold."

Tech and gadgets · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Black slaves who escaped to Canada invented ice hockey.

History myths · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Mark Twain once said or wrote, "I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."

History myths · checked by Snopes
True

Until 1956, French schoolchildren under 14 were allowed alcohol with their school meals.

Weird but true · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Bill Gates developed or endorses "Brain Honey" and similar remedies that supposedly cure or reverse Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

Money scams · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Dozens of musicians and actors are each stepping back into the spotlight with a deeply personal "Back to the Heart" documentary project.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Lead Stories
Crazy bullshit

Dozens of artists, including Bad Bunny, Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow, are set to take over the 2026 World Cup opening stage.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Lead Stories
Crazy bullshit

Retailer Tractor Supply Co. is offering riding lawn mowers for less than US$10 to people who fill out a survey.

Money scams · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows a whale calf feeding on thick white milk released by its mother.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

NHL star Sidney Crosby donated $12.4 million to build 75 homes with more than 180 beds for a Pittsburgh homeless shelter initiative.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A video shows a cow protecting a child by pulling them away from a speeding train.

Animals and nature · checked by BOOM
Crazy bullshit

A picture taken through the Orion spacecraft's window during Artemis II shows Earth and proves it is not flat.

AI fakes · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

Viral photos and clips show the Moon as captured by the astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission.

AI fakes · checked by PolitiFact
Crazy bullshit

Jonathan, the world's oldest known tortoise, died at almost 194 years old on 1 April 2026.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

Scientists released a James Webb Space Telescope image of the "Cosmic Vine", a line of galaxies linked together in a helix.

Science and space · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A bank chief executive stormed out of an ABC interview after an on-air spat about a secret investment platform.

Money scams · checked by AAP FactCheck
Crazy bullshit

A video shows a lion, said to be a Tibetan snow lion or an Atlas lion, walking through snow and even climbing Mount Everest.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A body double or clone, not Jim Carrey, received his honorary César Award in France on 26 February 2026.

Celebrity hoaxes · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A picture shows a real Cadbury "Eid egg", a halal-certified milk chocolate egg.

Food · checked by Full Fact
Crazy bullshit

A video shows a white dragon captured at a secret government facility in China.

AI fakes · checked by Snopes
True

A video shows a rhino and a tiny muntjac deer headbutting and playing together in the snow at a Polish zoo.

Animals and nature · checked by Snopes
Crazy bullshit

A poster says signals from 5G small cell towers damage humans, animals and plants, and cause heart and vision problems.

Tech and gadgets · checked by Full Fact