Copypasta

13 Articles

Copying, pasting and sharing hoaxes helps them spread online, sometimes for years.

Snopes Staff

Published 21 August 2019

One of the most persistent forms of misinformation is known colloquially as “copypasta.” Internet users often unwittingly perpetuate false information by copying and pasting hoaxes and passing them along to others.

Prayer Request for 30 SEALs Killed in Afghanistan A request for prayers for the families of 30 U.S. military personnel who died when...

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Outdated

Bill Gates $5,000 Giveaway One of the oldest Internet hoaxes holds that Microsoft and other companies are giving $5,000...

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False

‘Boy Shot by Stepfather’ Appeal Old hoax holds that a every time a particular message is shared, a company will...

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False

’22 Christian Missionaries Sentenced to Death’ Prayer Request A prayer request for 22 missionaries about to be executed in Afghanistan is spurious and...

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False

Prayer Request: Darkhorse Marine Battalion A prayer request for the Darkhorse Marine battalion fighting in Afghanistan is several years old.

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Outdated

Will a Vinegar and Water Mixture De-Ice Your Windshield? Spraying a mixture of vinegar and water on your car's windshield may help prevent the...

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Mixture

Do Color Codes on Toothpaste Tubes Identify Their Ingredients? The colored squares on toothpaste tubes supposedly identify the composition of the toothpaste enclosed therein.

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False

Laura Buxton Balloon Coincidence Laura Buxton released a balloon that ended up in the hands of another girl named...

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Mostly True

Will Posting This Notice Stop Facebook or Instagram from Making Your Posts Public? "WARNING: Everything you’ve ever posted becomes public from tomorrow!"

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False

Did Authorities Warn of More Attacks on Target and Walmart Stores in El Paso? A viral rumor spread in the wake of a deadly mass shooting in Texas in...

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False

‘Money Bags’ Calendar Five Saturdays, five Sundays, and five Mondays in month is not a phenomenon that occurs...

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False

Can Drinking One Diet Drink a Day Triple the Risk of Dementia and Strokes? Some studies show an association between increased consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and stroke or...

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Unproven

Did a New Study Show That Marijuana Leads to a Complete Remission of Crohn’s Disease? The results of a 22-person pilot study have been misrepresented through years of viral reporting...

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False