A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. Hoaxes are distinguished from other forms of falsehoods or deceptions such as black comedy, sarcasm, exaggeration, and parody, in that a hoax typically occurs within the context of a computer.
From an operational perspective, the aim of a hoax is typically to deceive an unwitting user into believing something to be true, in order to cause confusion or elicit an emotional reaction. Hoaxes are used to gain attention for websites, news stories, and in some cases to mislead readers.
Hoaxes may be perpetrated in various ways. For example, someone may create a fake website, news article, or email. Additionally, hoaxes may be spread through Internet postings, such as chatroom messages, text messages, and social media postings. Popular techniques include the use of misinformation, false claims, and disinformation.
The effects of a hoax may be damaging for the public and for the reputation of the companies or organizations affected. It may cause emotional distress, financial loss or legal liability. To help combat hoaxes, users can look for additional sources of information that corroborate a story and verify the reliability of the source before believing or spreading any information.
