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3 Historic Hoaxes That Duped The Masses, Scientists Or Media

Scams are nothing new — Edgar Allen Poe even faked a story for revenge. Take these three well known hoaxes in history that demonstrate how both science and consumers can be scammed for money.

By Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi
Nov 14, 2022 4:00 PMNov 15, 2022 5:18 PM
Vintage hot air balloon engraving
(Credit: Morphart Creation/Shutterstock)

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Con artists have long tricked people into scams that were too good to be true. And it’s not just deposed princes emailing pleas to help them reclaim their lost fortune with a short-term loan. The world of science and academia has also seen swindlers.

In medicine, fake cures have promised to end suffering and restore a person’s good health. In archeology, planted relics have misled the public about ancient life on Earth. And in aviation, lengthy and impressive flights were completely fabricated. Below are three scientific hoaxes in history that scammed people out of major money.

1. The Cardiff Giant

Year: 1869

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