Hoax is a deliberate act of deception that attracts the attention of the public. Hoaxes are often elaborate, shocking, sensational, or outrageous. Hoaxes share some features with urban legends. Urban legends are false stories that people share in the belief that they may be true. Hoaxes, on the other hand, are purposeful deceptions. The word hoax was coined in the late 1700’s. It probably comes from the phrase hocus pocus, used by magicians.
Hoaxes are often playful or mischievous tricks that include an element of humor. Scholars consider the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 to be a classic example of a hoax. In this hoax, a New York City newspaper successfully convinced much of the American public that strange creatures had been discovered on the moon, including lunar bison, bipedal (two-legged) beavers, and “man-bats.” However, hoaxes are not always playful or amusing. Harmful deceptions, such as financial scams, false bomb threats, and scientific frauds, are frequently described as hoaxes. Hoaxes occur in all fields and professions.
The reasons for perpetrating hoaxes vary. Scholars recognize that a few motivations for hoaxes are particularly common.
A person may perpetrate a hoax to embarrass or ridicule. Hoaxes done for this reason are sometimes known as hoaxes of exposure, because the hoaxer eventually reveals his or her own trick. This kind of hoax calls into question the judgment of all those who fell for it. One such hoax occurred in Sweden, in 1964, when an art exhibition showcased the work of a previously unknown French artist named Pierre Brassau. Only after local critics had praised the art was it revealed that the paintings were made by a chimpanzee. A journalist had come up with the hoax to fool critics of modern art.
A successful hoax can attract favorable publicity, particularly if it is perceived to be clever or entertaining. In 1996, for example, the Taco Bell restaurant chain announced a plan to purchase the Liberty Bell, a treasured relic of the early days of American independence. The company announced plans to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. This April Fools’ Day hoax gained the corporation a great deal of free publicity. Their sales increased in the week following the outrageous announcement.
A hoaxer might invent a lie to advance his or her career, to trick others out of money, or to gain credit for the achievement of others. In such cases, the hoaxer has no intention of ever revealing the deception. In 1972, the American author Clifford Irving claimed he had helped to write an autobiography of the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Irving arranged to sell the manuscript to a publisher. Irving’s hoax was only exposed when Hughes himself made a rare public announcement insisting the two had never met.
Some hoaxers are motivated by the sense of superiority they gain from emotionally manipulating others. A modern example of this type of hoax is false reports of celebrity deaths distributed through social media services, such as Facebook or X (formerly called Twitter). The original authors of such stories are almost never discovered.
