• The Top 25: Most popular topics of the past week
• Definitions: Hoax, rumor, urban legend
• How to Submit: Contribute a suspected hoax / urban legend
New & Updated as of 11/21/08:
List of Store Closings
Forwarded email purports to list current and future retail store closings by major U.S. companies due to the economic downturn and advises consumers not to purchase gift cards or gift certificates from these businesses. (Added 11/21/08)
Christmas Cards for Recovering American Soldiers
Email flier says Christmas cards can be sent to wounded servicemen and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center by addressing them to "A Recovering American Soldier." (Updated 11/18/08)
Khrushchev Quote
"We cannot expect Americans to jump from capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism." (Added 11/13/08)
ABC News Bans Flag Lapel Pins
Forwarded email claims ABC News has issued orders forbidding reporters to wear American flag lapel pins or other patriotic insignia. (Added 11/12/08)
Maggots in Oreos (Photos)
Emailed photos purport to show an infestation of maggots or insect eggs in the cream filling of an Oreo cookie made in China. (Added 11/11/08)
Man Finds Mouse Baked into Hot Dog Bun
Charlotte, NC man opens a package of hot dog buns and discovers what appears to be a rodent baked into one of the buns. (Updated 11/07/08)
Do Redskins Wins & Losses Predict Outcomes of Presidential Elections?
According to the infamous "Redskins Rule," whether or not the Washington Redskins win their last home game prior to a presidential election predicts which party will win the presidency. (Added 11/03/08)
Obama's Random Act of Kindness
Forwarded email relates a story published in a Norwegian newspaper about Mary Menth Andersen, who was stranded without money in the Miami airport one day in 1988 and unable to pay a $103 luggage surcharge. A tall, well-dressed stranger came to her rescue and paid the fee. His name: Barack Obama. (Added 11/01/08)
Huntley Brown: Why I (A Black Man) Can't Vote for Obama
Authentic: Emailed essay by Christian pianist Huntley Brown states his reasons for not supporting Barack Obama's candidacy for president. (Added 10/30/08)
Michelle Obama's Lobster Snack
Emailed campaign flier purports to show the receipt for a $447.39 lobster 'snack' ordered by Michelle Obama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in October 2008. (Added 10/29/08)
Crowd Member Shouts the N-Word at a Sarah Palin Campaign Rally (Video)
Obama supporters claim that someone in the crowd at a Sarah Palin campaign stop hollered the "N-word "during a portion of the speech addressing Obama's alleged "redistribution of wealth" economic policies. (Added 10/28/08)
Election Day Switch
An official-looking election flier distributed in Virginia instructs Democrats to vote on November 5 instead of November 4. (Added 10/28/08)
Is Snopes.com Biased and Unreliable?
Forwarded email alleges that the urban legend debunking site Snopes.com is "owned by a flaming liberal" who is "in the tank for Obama" and cannot be trusted to provide reliable information. (Added 10/23/08)
Pirate's Gold Chocolate Coins Contaminated with Melamine
Forwarded email says that Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins imported from China may contain deadly melamine and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has warned the public not to eat, distribute or sell the candy. (Added 10/22/08)
Wendy's 60th Anniversary Menu Special
Internet hoax claims restaurant chain Wendy's celebrates its 60th anniversary on Oct. 22 and will offer special menu discounts. (Added 10/20/08)
What Does Obama Read? (Photo)
Emailed photo shows Barack Obama carrying a copy of the book The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria, described in the caption as "the Muslim/Islamic view to destroy America." (Added 10/18/08)
Return of the 'Creepy Gnome' (Video)
Another viral video from Argentina purports to show a pointy-headed, gnome-like creature terrorizing a group of teenage boys. (Added 10/19/08)
Piper Palin's One-Finger Salute (Photo)
Emailed photo of Alaska governor Sarah Palin and daughter Piper at a public event appears to show the latter 'flipping the bird' at another child. (Added 10/16/08)
Birds Explode If They Eat Rice Thrown at Weddings
Some people say you shouldn't throw rice at weddings because when birds eat it the grains expand in their stomachs, often killing them. (Added 10/15/08)
My Holiday with John McCain
Forwarded email contains purported firsthand account of rude, boorish behavior on the part of Republican presidential candidate John McCain during a holiday excursion on Turtle Island in Fiji in 1999. (Added 10/14/08)
Talking Doll Says 'Islam Is the Light'
Some retailers have removed Fisher-Price's Cuddle & Coo Doll from their shelves because of allegations that it repeats the phrases "Satan is king" and "Islam is the light." (Added 10/13/08)
Baby Carrots and Chlorine
Email flier warns that baby carrots sold in supermarkets pose a health risk because they're processed in chlorine. (Added 10/09/08)
Largest Reenlistment Ceremony Ever
Emailed photos taken in Baghdad, Iraq show 1,215 uniformed servicemembers taking part in the single largest U.S. reenlistment ceremony since the all-volunteer force began in 1973. (Added 10/08/08)
In-N-Out Burger 60th Anniversary Special
Email hoax claims In-N-Out Burger restaurants will offer discount menu prices for its 60th anniversary celebration on October 22, 2008. (Added 10/08/08)
Three Men Who Brought Down Wall Street
Forwarded email alleges that three former Fannie Mae executives accused of improprieties -- Franklin Raines, Tim Howard, and Jim Johnson -- are all now serving as top economic advisers to Barack Obama. (Added 10/07/08)
Bloody Mary
They say if you stand in front of a mirror in a darkened room and chant "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary," a horrifying ghost will appear. (Added 10/02/08)
Hair Bands Made from Used Condoms in China
Authorities in China have reportedly discovered instances of used condoms being recycled to make cheap elastic hair bands. (Added 09/30/08)
