Collection
Did the FBI Reveal the 'Most Dangerous' Zodiac Signs?
Yes, the agency once encouraged Martin Luther King Jr. to kill himself. No, undercover FBI agents did not incite violence during the Jan. 6 riot.
by Rae Deng , May 25, 2016
Image courtesy of FBI
As the United States' lead domestic intelligence, counterterrorism and security service, the FBI has long been the source of fascination for many people.
Snopes has fact-checked rumors about the agency for years. In 2016, for example, we investigated a rumor that the FBI warned about white supremacists infiltrating police departments . We have also looked into the federal law enforcement organization's sometimes sordid past, such as a real letter federal agents sent to civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. encouraging him to kill himself.
Many of the FBI's investigations into high-profile crimes also have resulted in fact-checks from Snopes, such as an investigation into a report that the FBI and the Department of Justice paid nearly $1 million in overtime to agents redacting files related to the case of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Here are 25 rumors we've examined related to the FBI:
By Rae Deng
Rae Deng specializes in government/politics and is based in Tacoma, Wash.
Is FBI compiling list of American 'extremists'? We confirmed leaked memo
Dec. 9, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi's memo asked the DOJ to prosecute the "most serious, readily provable ...
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FBI, DOJ paid nearly $1M in overtime to agents redacting Epstein files, documents show
Dec. 8, 2025
Snopes reviewed the records Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold obtained in a Freedom of Informatio ...
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12-year-old boy achieved nuclear fusion from his bedroom in 2018. The FBI visited afterwards
Nov. 3, 2025
The agency swept Jackson Oswalt's home for radiation in 2018 after he became the youngest person ...
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'Biden FBI' agents didn't incite violence while 'undercover' on Jan. 6
Oct. 13, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump amplified a claim by conservative media outlets that suggested 274 u ...
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What to know about claim FBI plans to categorize trans people as 'Nihilistic Violent Extremists'
Sept. 26, 2025
The rumor originated from a report by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein that cited two ano ...
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FBI's 'Arctic Frost' probe into Jan. 6 investigated Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA
Sept. 20, 2025
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley released whistleblower files he claimed showed the FBI investigated "th ...
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House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed Trump was FBI informant in Epstein case. Here's what we know
Sept. 8, 2025
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, made the comment in September 2025.
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What to know about claims the FBI is trying to 'criminalize' Habitat for Humanity
March 17, 2025
Habitat for Humanity was among organizations whose Citibank accounts the FBI froze while investi ...
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Sign claims Trump administration ended FBI community outreach efforts. FBI says it's not so
Feb. 18, 2025
A sign visible in a photo advised of the cancellation of an FBI presentation titled "Scams Targe ...
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Photo appears to show 'core values' mural painted over at FBI Academy. Here's what we know
Feb. 7, 2025
The New York Times reported the mural was located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
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Yes, the FBI Conducting Large-Scale, Nuclear-Response Training — But Not in Response to World Events
Jan. 29, 2025
Although the internet jumped straight to WWIII, the training has happened biannually since 2012.
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Yes, FBI Announced Texting Between iPhone and Android Is Not Secure
Dec. 5, 2024
While iPhone to iPhone and Android to Android messages are secure, sending a message between the ...
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FBI Deleted Pride Month Post That Said, 'We Know That Diversity Makes Us Stronger'?
June 4, 2024
The message purportedly read in part, "During #PrideMonth, the FBI celebrates our #LGBTQIA+ coll ...
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Did Biden Order FBI Agents To Make 'Knock and Talk' Visits to Homes of Over 100K Trump Supporters?
Oct. 14, 2023
"Over 100,000 such 'knock and talk' visits have occurred," a popular post on X read.
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No, the FBI Didn't Increase Its Presence at EPCOT in Disney World
May 9, 2023
There's no evidence of any major threat to national security being reported at Disney World.
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Did Marines Catch and Kill FBI Agents Trying To Sabotage a Substation in Idaho?
Feb. 21, 2023
This would certainly be a unique use of the U.S. Marines.
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Did the FBI Compile an 83-Page Guide to Internet Slang?
April 21, 2022
Even the FBI needs help decrypting what the youth are saying.
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Did the FBI Send MLK a Letter Telling Him To Kill Himself?
Jan. 25, 2022
The anonymous letter purported to reveal secrets about Martin Luther King Jr.’s sex life.
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Did Former NYPD Officer Say Police, FBI Conspired In Assassination of Malcolm X?
Feb. 25, 2021
For decades, activists have maintained prosecutors convicted the wrong men in the murder.
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Did the FBI Confirm George Soros Was Funding the Migrant Caravan?
Oct. 24, 2018
An echo chamber consisting of dozens of Twitter and Facebook accounts pushed an unfounded conspi ...
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FBI Seizes Over 3,000 Penises During Raid at Morgue Employee's Home?
Sept. 28, 2017
Rumors holding that a morgue employee was involved in a salacious organ trafficking operation or ...
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Did the FBI Raid the CDC for Data on Vaccines and Autism?
Jan. 24, 2017
A known hoax purveyor spread false claims that the FBI "raided" the CDC in the middle of the nig ...
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FBI Announces Inquiry Into Trump Campaign Ties to Russia?
Nov. 1, 2016
NBC reported an inquiry by the FBI into Paul Manafort's foreign business affairs. Months later, ...
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FBI Warned About White Supremacists Infiltrating Police Departments
Sept. 27, 2016
In 2006, the FBI issued a warning that infiltration by groups such as the KKK into law enforceme ...
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Did the FBI Reveal the 'Most Dangerous' Zodiac Signs?
May 25, 2016
A number of sketchy sales sites created a rumor that the FBI had released a study ranking zodiac ...
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