Did You Fall For These?
The early era of the internet, much like now, was full of misinformation and hoaxes. In fact, the 2000s in particular were home to a variety of crazy conspiracies that fooled millions of people. No judgment if you fell for these, after all, a lot of people did.
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1. Talking Angela
In the 2000s, there was a game known as Talking Tom. It was a very early take on AI and was barely that. Regardless, it allowed kids to take care of and talk to a cat named Tom, who had a few friends, like a white cat named Angela. Due to the popularity of the game, the company launched Talking Angela. But a rumor quickly spread that Angela was a spy, and you could see a stranger’s reflection in her eyes.
2. Alexandria’s Genesis
Then there was that time the internet made up a condition called Alexandria’s Genesis. The “unfortunate” souls afflicted by this disease would have purple eyes, perfect health, no body hair except for that on their head, and age extra slowly. Hilariously, few people even pretended to have it.
3. The Nigerian Prince
By now, most people are familiar with the Nigerian Prince scam, but early on in its inception, it might have fooled a few people. In the scam, you receive an email from someone claiming to be a Nigerian prince, who will reward you generously if you help him transfer money. Of course, to do that, he’d need your bank account number.
4. Microwaving Phones
This hoax also started around 2014 and propagated the idea that you could charge your iOS phone by placing it in the microwave. Trolls claimed that this was part of the new iOS 8 update, and unfortunately, some people were convinced and tried it. Fair warning, microwaving your phone can get quite fiery.
5. The Blair Witch Project
This one’s just clever marketing, and we can’t fault the movie for making such a spectacle with the rumor mill. Essentially, the Blair Witch Project was a horror movie that appeared like found footage. In fact, the hoax claimed that the movie actually was a documentary of found footage and was totally legit.
6. War of the Worlds
This one’s an oldie but a goodie. Orson Welles accidentally created a huge hoax when War of the Worlds, a book about an alien invasion, was converted into a radio show. Listeners didn’t realize it was a show, and many believed the radio was a live report of what was actually happening. Talk about terrifying.
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7. The Freeway Shark
Remember Sharknado? Well, this isn’t exactly like that, but after Hurricane Harvey, an image was circulated of a shark swimming around in a flooded highway. Even some news reporters were fooled, but at the end of the day, it was just good old Photoshop.
8. Bald For Bieber
In 2013, a group on an internet forum called 4chan started a #BaldForBieber campaign. They insinuated that the singer was sick and that fans should shave their heads to support him. To add fuel to the fire, they shared photoshopped images of Bieber and photos of bald fans.
9. Balloon Boy
This one’s pretty iconic and even got news coverage. Essentially, it involved a six-year-old boy floating around in silver helium-filled balloons. At least that’s what the alleged mom told cops. Turns out the kid was hiding in the attic, and his parents told him to pretend in order to get onto a reality show.
10. Lady Gaga
If you were a pop fan in 2009, you’re probably aware of this. The internet began spreading a rumor that Lady Gaga was a hermaphrodite, and used her androgynous lyrics to support that theory. While she enjoyed teasing the public, Gaga made it clear that it was not the case.
11. Lonelygirl15
Remember YouTube? Nowadays, it’s full of high-end content and a plethora of creators all competing for attention. In the early 2000s, it didn’t take as much to stand out. One instance of this lies with Lonelygirl15, who posted innocent enough vlogs. However, her story would grow a bit dark as she insinuated she was being controlled by a cult. It was later revealed that Bree Avery, the girl in the videos, was an actress.
12. The Lost Russian Royal
After the heinous events that led to the end of Tsar Nicholas II’s rule in 1918, Russia, a rumor began that the youngest daughter, Anastasia Romanov, had actually escaped. This began the string of women claiming to be her, the most believable being Anna Anderson, who knew secret details about the family and fit the description. After her passing, DNA revealed she was not a match.
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13. Facebook Friends Sleeve
You love your friends, right? So, you might as well get all their faces tattooed on your arm. Essentially, a video was shared of a woman who had her friends' Facebook profiles as a tattoo arm sleeve. Turns out the tattoo was temporary and was just a publicity stunt for a printing company.
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14. Fairies Are Real
If news breaks on April 1st surrounding the discovery of a body of a fairy, then you’d be right to raise an eyebrow. Essentially, in 2007, an illusion designer from London shared the mummy of a fairy he claimed to have discovered while walking his dog in Derbyshire. Obviously, this was just an April Fools’ Day prank, but it still convinced lots of people at the time who were none the wiser.
15. Helicopter Shark
Remember the shark on the highway? Well, how about one with a helicopter? A photo was being circulated of a helicopter flying near the water as a great white shark lunges out, mere inches away from snatching the personnel on board. This was just a photoshopped image, although it was circulated all over the web in 2001 and even claimed that the photo had falsely been chosen as National Geographic’s Photo of the Year.
16. The Momo Challenge
From early on, the internet has been home to spooky-themed pranks. Think of the whole haunted email chain thing, or good ole Mary in the mirror. The Momo Challenge was another iteration of this. The hoax claimed that a scary-looking user named Momo would manipulate people with dangerous dares.
17. The Shed at Dulwich
A lot of people would be thrilled to visit a world-renowned restaurant and treat their appetites. That’s what Londoners had in mind when they booked reservations at The Shed at Dulwich, which was a restaurant where food was ordered by mood. However, it was just a hoax and was an experiment run by writers.
18. Hotelicopter
There’s just something about helicopters and conspiracy theories, it turns out. This one also took place on April Fools’ Day and insinuated that the world’s first luxury hotel helicopter was fully functioning and ready to go. Even news outlets reported on it, only for it to go down in history as a pretty harmless and fun prank.
19. Litter Boxes in School
This one’s relatively recent, as the hoax began in 2021. It essentially shared the idea that North American schools were now providing litter boxes for students. This was apparently to accommodate students who felt more akin to cats. The news spread from Canada to the States, and rumors began that certain state schools were doing it. Even politicians began sharing the news, showing just how much damage the hoax did.
20. The Cardiff Giant
Did giants rule the world at one point? Either way, the Cardiff Giant was a legendary hoax where two men allegedly dug up a 10-foot-tall man. Of course, the men started charging people to see the attraction, which was probably our first hint that it was fake.
