Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a Web source is legitimate or not – even for the BBC. According to the TVC Alert:
On Friday, the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal chemical plant accident that killed 3800 people, the BBC reported that Dow Chemical–the current owners of the plant–would establish a $12 billion compensation fund.
The story was based on a cruel hoax, which lured a BBC researcher to a fake Dow Web site. The researcher then contacted an “employee” listed on the site, who provided the false information. Some sources are reporting that the hoax was the work of the Yes Men, a group responsible for some elaborate hoaxes against governments and corporations.
For more Hoaxes and Other Bad Information in the News, see the The Virtual Chase.