Crime Warnings
Written by: Jordan Liles
June 11, 2026
A Virginia police department's inaccurate Facebook post resulted in numerous local ABC, CBS, FOX ...
Written by: Joey Esposito
June 6, 2026
Social media users claimed thieves used drugged perfume to knock women out and rob them.
Written by: Jordan Liles
June 5, 2026
Social media users falsely promoted the trafficking warning, including failing to cite credible ...
Written by: Joey Esposito
May 28, 2026
Versions of this longstanding urban legend have lurked on the web since the 1990s.
Written by: Jordan Liles
May 20, 2026
Social media users, news media outlets and police departments promoting the warning did not conf ...
Written by: Emery Winter
Nov. 2, 2025
Social media posts framed as a "police warning" directed towards women were vague chain messages ...
Written by: Emery Winter
Oct. 2, 2025
A warning spread through social media posts incorrectly describes how burundanga, a drug often u ...
Written by: Joey Esposito
Sept. 7, 2025
An urban legend Snopes first debunked in 2000 recently resurfaced.
Written by: Joey Esposito
Jan. 20, 2025
The widespread internet rumor has been frightening readers since the late '90s.
Written by: Jordan Liles
Dec. 4, 2024
The Facebook posts aimed to grab readers' attention to help the scam work.
Written by: Taija PerryCook
Sept. 19, 2024
Homemade bombs made of aluminum foil and popular drain cleaner Drano have posed a threat to publ ...
Written by: David Mikkelson
April 27, 2010
A viral alert warns about neighborhood residents finding unexploded Drano "bottle bombs" in thei ...
Written by: Kim LaCapria
Jan. 27, 2017
Dozens of news outlets reported on a purported scam wherein fraudsters supposedly falsify charge ...
Written by: Barbara Mikkelson David Mikkelson
March 1, 2000
Horribly spelled warnings about homicidal teens playing "spunkball" began turning up on the inte ...
Written by: David Mikkelson
Jan. 27, 2009
Criminals in Omaha are distracting drivers with decoys and notes left on windshields?
Written by: Bethania Palma
Dec. 2, 2019
Awareness of one's surroundings is always good, but scarelore can also lead to unwarranted fears.
Written by: Dan Evon
Aug. 28, 2018
Not every unsolicited communication is an attempt to target victims for sex trafficking rings.
Written by: Kim LaCapria
June 7, 2017
A woman's warning about a man who gave her a "bad feeling" at a Walmart in Coon Rapids, Minnesot ...
Written by: Kim LaCapria
March 28, 2017
A familiar urban legend about retail environments and human trafficking popped up again in a vir ...
Written by: Kim LaCapria David Mikkelson
Feb. 22, 2017
News reports conflated a genuine incident of human trafficking with a completely unrelated claim ...
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