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Marissa Brassfield
54 Viral Pranks and Hoaxes
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There are a number of pranks and hoaxes targeted at politicians and other high-profile individuals--just days ago, Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-lehtinen thought president-elect Barack Obama’s call was a prank. Unfortunately for Ileana Ros-lehtinen, the call from Barack Obama, which was intended to congratulate the congresswoman on her reelection, was real. Unlike the prank call Ileana Ros-lehtinen thought was routed into her office, the hoaxes below are all assuredly fake. From Miley Cyrus’ death to Bigfoot and Rick Rolling, these pranks have made headlines for both their absurdity and hilarity. In honor of Ileana Ros-lehtinen’s viral blunder, there are a few actual prank calls thrown into this cluster as well, like the call placed by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross that got their shows suspended from the air. Via: trendhunter |
Related Slideshow - 54 Trends
Inked Organs
Surgery to Tattoo Beating Hearts is a HoaxKeen to let every heartbeat wear your loved one’s name? True Love Tattoos, run by doctor and tattoo artist Dr. Valentin Vikunjevski, is offering you the opportunity to book a three-hour open heart surgery…
Black Friday Ad Hoaxes
Best Buy, Future Shop, Circuit City Gift Card EmailBlack Friday ads have bargain hunters in a tizzy this week, but it was a Circuit City, Future and Best Buy hoax that ruffled the most feathers. A viral email falsely stated that Future Shop and Best…
Giant Public Turkey Stuffing
The 55 Ft Bird Basting HoaxYou know the holidays are coming when more than 10,000 people watch the stuffing of a giant turkey. I am so disappointed that we don't have an event like this in the UK. I am desperate to see gravy boats…
YouTube Death Hoaxes (VIDEO)
Hacker Announces Miley Cyrus is DeadMiley Cyrus' YouTube account for the online "Miley and Mandy show" was hacked and a video was posted announcing that the Hannah Montana star was killed by a drunk driver. The video, which was disabled…
Subway Ad Mashups (GALLERY)
Urban Pranks by 'Poster Boy'These New York subway ad mashups are the work of an anonymous 25 year-old urban prankster known as Poster Boy. The masterful subway art manipulator subversively rearranges swatches of color, text, and…
Viral Newspapers Hoaxes (VIDEO)
1.2 Million 'New York Times' Fakes Handed OutOver a million copies of this edition of the New York Times was passed out by volunteers today. Too bad the headline, "Iraq War Ends" isn't true... yet. The newspaper, which was dated July 4, 2009, was…
Faking Fictional Heroines (VIDEO)
Megan Fox "Wonder Woman" HoaxMegan Fox, the sultry Transformers star, has found herself in a messy controversy. Thing is, a website called wonder-who.com recently released a series of mocked-up photos of Megan Fox clad in a Wonder…
Prank Calling Politicians (VIDEO)
Punking Sarah PalinWant to listen to Sarah Palin get prank called? Sarah Palin got punked by two Canadian comedians, Sebastien Trudel and Marc-Antoine Audette, who are famous for pranking politicians and famous people…
Controversial Prank Call Paybacks (GALLERY)
Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross SuspendedThe 23-year-old granddaughter of ‘Fawlty Towers’ star Andrew Sachs was recently revealed as a member of a raunchy burlesque dance group; this is news in itself, but how her hobby was outed has become the…
Global Warming A Hoax? (VIDEO)
GM’s Bob Lutz Talks To ColbertThis was one of those moments you just knew would be kept alive by the environmental bloggers. Bob Lutz, vice-chairman of General Motors, was talking to Stephen Colbert about the new Chevy Volt. When Colbert…
Wall Street Pranks (VIDEO)
Jokers Make Light of Bankruptcy on CNNAs a rule, I steer clear of bankers and insurance agents, so if you're affiliated with Bank of America, AIG or Washington Mutual, I'm not interested, but, this film is actually really funny. During a Lehman…
Viral Hoaxes as Art (VIDEO)
Gallery Sells Prints of $999.99 iPhone AppWe've seen this image before, when Armin Heinrich swindled a handful of rich folks into shilling out $999.99 for the non-functioning, useless I Am Rich iPhone app. The app was taken down by iTunes, but…
Endangered Hair Color Hoaxes (GALLERY)
Redheads Going Extinct?I read the August issue of National Geographic last year that had a lovely article on redheads and their populations around the world. They made one mention that some people out there believe the ginger-haired…
Bigfoot Captured (VIDEO)
Scientists to Reveal Bigfoot and DNA (Proof or Hoax?)A group of Bigfoot hunters at ‘Searching for Bigfoot Inc.’ claim to have discovered the real Bigfoot. The men will be releasing DNA evidence and a photo this Friday. The alleged body of Bigfoot was found…
Viral Political Pranks (VIDEO)
Barack Obama Rolling (Like Rick Rolling)Brilliant, childish and spreading across like wild fire on the internet is this viral Barack Obama version of the infamous "Rick Roll" prank. It is one of the stand out election videos at the moment. To…
Gay Fashionista Cage Fight Pranks (VIDEO)
Sacha Baron Cohen As 'Bruno'Sacha Baron Cohen, the British comedian and filmmaker who duped a people into doing stupid things for the wildly successful film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of…
Viral Hoaxes
Lost Brazilian Tribe Not RealThe news of a long lost Brazilian tribe that had strayed away from civilization has been found to be a big, fat hoax. The rumor was clarified after an aerial survey of the Amazon was conducted. José…
Prank GPS Navigation
SAT-NAG Guides You With Familiar NaggingIf you have a permanent GPS (a significant other) but miss the dulcet tones dinging you because your shortcut put you in a construction zone, then the SAT/NAG system is made for you. Remember: “...turn…
Taking Pranks Global (VIDEO)
Improv Anywhere Launches UrbanPrankster.comUrban Prankster is a new offshoot of Improv Everywhere. Improv Everywhere has done over 70 acts of comedy, including riding the subway pantless. Their blog encourages pranks, hacks, flash mobs and other…
Redecorating Subway Cars (VIDEO)
Pranksters Turn Train into a Living RoomA group of Improv Everywhere-inspired pranksters based in Prague, the Czech Republic, turned a subway car into a living room. On a Friday afternoon, the commuters of a train were rather surprised when…
UPDATE: Cooking Eggs with Mobile Phones a Hoax (VIDEO)
Luckily, the post about cooking eggs with mobile phones has turned out to be a hoax. I say ‘luckily’ for all those people who keep a mobile phone in their pants and then make calls next to their head…
Cooking With Cellphones (VIDEO)
Popcorn Popping Is Another HoaxA few days ago we featured a video showing how to hard boil an egg using your mobile phone. Well if you are into mobile cooking, here is a great new recipe you should try. The video shows a group of friends…
Mega Hoaxes
Biggest Drawing is a FakeThe Swedish artist Erik Nordenenkar who recently claimed (with video and receipts evidence on his site) to have created the "biggest drawing in the world" by sending a GPS-equipped plastic briefcase on…
Photoshopping Pranks
Yearbook Employee Alters 30 Students, Hillarity EnsuesA rogue employee at Minnesota-based yearbook company, Lifetouch National School Studios, decided to prank Photoshop around 30 student photos. Changes included switched heads, stretched necks, a missing…
$12000 Cash Only Meal?
The Suffolk Kitchen Knish HoaxIt's called Knish and if you want one, you have to place your order 48 hours in advance. You also have to pay $12,000 - IN CASH! So what is a Knish? It is "Osetra, Sevruga and Beluga caviars, white alba…
Top 6 Games to Prank Your Way to a Good Time (RIDICULOUS) (VIDEO)
Neg’s Urban SportsBored? Downtown? Neg’s Urban Sports are outlandish challenges where contestants disrupt social norms, pranking victims in score-able challenges. For example, how long can you ride a big stranger? When…
Morbid Candy (GALLERY)
The Chocolate Newborn HoaxOh my God, these fake chocolate newborn babies are so realistic and creepy! The collection features various positions and styles; yawning babies, sleeping babies, boys, girls... I believe they would…
Big Brand Hoaxes
BMW Dog ZapperEarlier this week, a new BMW ad ran in British newspapers and it offered quite a shock to dog lovers. Why? Because the new BMW is not a canine lover, on the contrary. It contains a system that prevents…
Google Pranks
AdSense for ConversationGoogle launched the "omega testing" of AdSense for Conversations. This new technology would allow users to make money from contextual ads that belong with the conversation in which you are currently engaged.…
Powdered Celebrity Skin
Famous Stardust (Hoax)How do you feel about having a piece of your favourite celebrity captured in a bottle, literally? Awkward, gross, surreal? Maybe, but it is possible. Famous Flakes is a store in SOHO that sells a powdered…
USB Pregnancy Tests
The p-Teq HoaxIf this isn't real, as medgadget.com suggests, then it will undoubtedly be a reality in the near future. A product called p-Teq claims to be a USB pregnancy test kit. Pee on it, plug it in to your computer,…
Google Pranks
Calendar Wake Up FeatureGoogle thought you might like a morning wake up so they announced the Google Wake Up Kit integrated into Google Calendar. The wake up notification was to be "relentless" to rouse you from your sound sleeping.…
New Google Engine Predicts Future Searches
gDay MATE (HOAX)In the spirit of April Fools Day 2008, Google Australia has announced a new application that lets it's users see a full 24 hours into the future. It's called gDay and it's powered by MATE. It's called…
Serero Eiffel Tower Extension (UPDATE)
Le Grande HoaxThe story of the Eiffel Tower anniversary extension has gone through the web like wild fire and generated mixed reactions. From those who were excited about the temporary makeover to those who were appalled…
Hoax Hacks
Skullphone Fakes Digital Billboard HijackIt was rumoured that a series of Clear Channel digital billboards were hacked by an 18 year old graffiti artist by the name of Skullphone. As of March 25th, 10 billboards in LA were displaying Skullphone's…
Ultra Viral Internet Prank
Rick RollingAn internet prank has rolled through the early stages of 2008. The fine art of “Rick Rolling” has now become a sought-after trait online. The aim is to do what ever it takes to get your friends,…
Gadget for Prank Callers
Wrong-Number GeneratorThis gizmo connects to your phone (better if it's someone elses) and randomly calls a phone number when the user tries to call out. Don't worry, 911 calls will always call out correctly and in fact, about…
Big Blog Pranksters (VIDEO)
Gizmodo Blogger Banned from CESAt least one Gizmodo blogger has been banned from CES for life after using a device to shut down all the flat screen monitors at CES. The Gizmodo prankster was using a TV-B-Gone Kit which fires off IR…
Get Paid To Lose Weight
Hoax Website Offers $100 Per PoundThis web site offers the ultimate incentive for people wanting to drop unwanted pounds. It claims to pay people for losing weight - $100 per pound! The site is a hoax, brought to you by 'Dumbass Inc',…
Pranksters At The White House
Karl Rove's Jaguar Appears Wrapped UpFarewell parties can get pretty wild. Farewell presents, even more. And if you are Karl Rove and is your last week at The White House, you can expect a small conventional present from your collaborators…
Infect Your PC
Hundreds Click on Hoax Google Adsense VirusDidier Stevens is a computer geek who likes to push the envelope. Six months ago he bought a Google Adword campaign advertising if your pc was virus-free you could get it infected by clicking the ad. The…
Engadget Hoax Drives Apple Stock Down $4 Billion
Apple stock plunged to the tune of $4 billion in only six minutes after a hoax email sent to Engadget was published on their site on May 16, 2007. The email detailed that the iPhone would be seriously…
Fake Ads (Follow Up)
Prankster Who Published Fake Ads Tells His TaleIn March, Trend Hunter featured a prankster who sent fake Gucci Ads of himself to a large Swiss Magazine... The magazine thought he worked for Gucci and published the ads... In a recent interview for…
April Fools Pranks
Facebook Launches Live PokeOh these April Fools pranks just never end. In the same spirit at Gmail Paper - we now have Live Poke, thanks to Face Book which claims to send a real live person to poke the victim of your choice. Sort…
Nasty Food Pranks
Beware the Chocolate Chip DonutsA few eighth grade students from Holtsville, NY, USA, got the jump on pulling April Fool pranks on classmates when they put laxatives in donuts and handed them out to students. Police and parents were…
Prank Gift Giving
Real Boxes. Fake ProductsThe Onion Store, offers Gotcha Boxes, Give that special someone a gift that will confuse, disappoint and possibly anger. Give it to them in an Onion GotchaBox™. These special gift boxes, printed with…
Fake Ads
Prankster Gets Fake Gucci Ad Published in Magazine (Mag Gets Ripped Off)So how do you go about ripping-off Gucci & a national magazine publication for $50,000? Number One: You call up a huge Swiss media magazine that is not too keen in the fact-checking department. Number…
Guerrilla Marketing Gone Bad
Boston Hoax Turns Into Million Dollar MishapTwo men have been accused of placing electronic advertisements for a cartoon around Boston that some people feared it was a bomb. It is obvious that the city of Boston did not recognize the display for…
Video of Banksy's Paris Hilton Hoax (VIDEO)
Another Paris Hilton trend? No way! Specifically, this is video footage of Banksy's prank on Paris Hilton. Last month we announced that hundreds Paris Hilton's records were targeted in a CD prank. However,…
Paris Hilton targeted in CD prank
Hundreds of Paris Hilton albums have been tampered with in the latest stunt by "guerrilla artist" Banksy. Banksy has replaced Hilton's CD with his own remixes and given them titles such as Why am I Famous?,…
No Parking Prank
Bogus No Parking Signs Result in Towed CarsNEW YORK - Several Brooklyn residents woke up to find their street empty — because someone had posted a No Parking sign and police had towed their rides. The sign, which bans parking on a street in…
New Site Lets You Send Prank Calls
Feeling monotonous lately with the routine chatting(and gossiping) with your friends?How about pulling some prank that will scare the wits out of your friend or friends,take your pick? Well,here comes…
Sexy 'Bluetoothing' Hoax Turns into Casual Dating (Sex?) Frenzy
MILAN -- It started as a prank that tricked the world's media, but now spoof stories about people using their mobile phones to hook up with strangers have come true. A British internet journalist set…
Deliberate Shortage
The Xbox Shortage Hoax of 2005Deliberate Shortage - The PS2, XBox, and now the XBox 360 all followed the same release pattern: Christmas release, massive shortages, unmet demand. Then Q1 comes along, and voila. No more shortage. Why?…
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