Ad Scams and Arbitrage

Misleading ads often lead to obscure websites that host lengthy slideshow articles with lots of pages — a practice called advertising arbitrage. Snopes is here to save you the click.

Katy Perry was not banned by SNL despite the claim made in an online ad.
Was Katy Perry Banned for Life From ‘SNL’?
  • 19 April 2021
An article claimed to list a number of celebrities who perhaps won't reappear on NBC's...
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Its true that the Swamp Ghost B-17E bomber from World War II was found in 1972.
Did WWII Plane Found in Jungle Still Have Coffee in Thermoses?
  • 18 April 2021
The story of "Swamp Ghost," a Boeing B-17E bomber, began during World War II and...
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The abandoned Bennett College aka Bennett School for Girls did not become a mega mansion.
Did the Abandoned Bennett College Become a ‘Mega-Mansion’?
  • 18 April 2021
The abandoned structure originally opened as a luxury hotel in 1893.
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An ad claimed that a rubber band should be placed on door knob locks tonight.
Should Rubber Bands Be Wrapped on Doorknobs ‘Tonight’?
  • 17 April 2021
A mysterious advertisement showed a twisted rubber band attached to knobs on both sides of...
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Dolly Parton did not make an announcement about her husband after 54 years of marriage.
Did Dolly Parton Make an Announcement About Her Husband?
  • 13 April 2021
We flipped through 54 pages of brief paragraphs that probably could have just been one...
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Hotel guests likely should not always put coins in the sink.
Should Hotel Guests Always Put Coins in the Sink?
  • 12 April 2021
"Always" might be a stretch.
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Rush Limbaugh's final net worth did not leave his family in tears.
Did Rush Limbaugh’s Net Worth Leave His Family ‘in Tears’?
  • 11 April 2021
The highly misleading trope that never ends.
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The ad that said Why You Should Always Put a Towel Under Hotel Door was misleading, to say the least.
Do Hotel Guests Always Need To Put a Towel Under the Door?
  • 9 April 2021
A handful of Twitter users certainly had a specific reason as to why a wet...
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Unscrupulous online advertisers claimed that the Hollywood star had remarried after the death of his wife, actor Kelly Preston, in 2020.
Does John Travolta Have a ‘New Wife’?
  • 8 April 2021
Unscrupulous online advertisers claimed that the Hollywood star had remarried after the death of his...
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Despite misleading ads Lily from the AT&T ATT commercials did not have a controversial life behind the scenes.
Did Lily from the AT&T Commercials ‘Confirm Rumors’?
  • 7 April 2021
For years, online advertisers have paid to push misleading claims about actress Milana Vayntrub.
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tiger woods net worth richest wealth athletes
Is Tiger Woods’ Net Worth the Greatest of All Pro Athletes?
  • 23 February 2021
Readers were curious about the net worth of the professional golfer after his vehicle crashed...
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pat sajak net worth left his family in tears leaves behind boggle mind
Did Pat Sajak ‘Leave Behind’ a Net Worth That Made His Family Cry?
  • 7 February 2021
Pat Sajak's net worth was the subject of misleading online advertisements that made it appear...
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