First let me start out first let me start out by saying this is not a political post. Not even close, but I will be talking some politics here to tell the story. The other night, I got a call from a good friend who leans very much to the left. He told me that Judge Clarence Thomas had fired a democratic congresswoman named Jasmine Crockett. My friend was so fired up about this, he also told me that she was not only fired but was told she could not run for office for 10 years. Now deeply embedded in my soul is something called a BS meter. This just did not sound right to me, and I asked him where he got this, and he said on the Internet, it’s all over the Internet. So thanks to my friend Paul one of the technicians at the Tampa Bay Technology Center, I reached down and grabbed my handy dandy Chromebook and tried to Google this whole thing. There were no stories in the Wall Street Journal about this. There was nothing on The Associated Press about this there was nothing on Fox News about this. Finally, I found a very strange video on YouTube that was all about this. My friend told me that it was the source. So I watched. At the very beginning of the video, in approximately A 2-second screenshot, you get to see a disclaimer where they basically tell you that the whole thing was BS and it was there for entertainment value. Nothing on the video was true. I then looked on the YouTube channel to decide why the hell this was happening and found out that there were hundreds of thousands of views of this particular video, and the channel itself came out of Brazil. They had a bunch of videos about right-wing politicians and left-wing politicians, all of which were total fabrications.
It doesn’t take much to figure things like this out when you go to places like TikTok and you see a video of Mark Cuban selling a nutritional supplement. Mark Cuban by the way, would never on God’s earth ever endorse or sell a nutritional product. He thinks they’re mostly garbage, especially the ones that make medical claims. This was all done with AI, just like the YouTube video, just like a bunch of stuff that I’m finding on Facebook and X. So here we are in 2025 and this wonderful thing called the Internet is out to get us or at least change the way we think about things using nothing but fabrications and lies. Here’s the list of 10 things that are all BS, geared towards older folks like us who are on the Internet. This whole thing reminds me of a modern-day Mr. Haney from Green Acres.
- “Eat This One Food to Burn Belly Fat Fast”
- Where You See It: YouTube videos, Facebook ads
- The Lie: That a single fruit or vegetable will magically shrink your belly.
- The Truth: This is a trick to sell supplements or get you to click on shady links. Weight loss still requires healthy eating and regular movement.
- “You Can Earn $5,000 a Week From Home—No Experience!”
- Where You See It: YouTube, TikTok, email
- The Lie: That retirees can easily get rich from simple online jobs.
- The Truth: These are usually bait to sell training courses or get personal info. Real income opportunities rarely promise fast, easy cash.
- “The U.S. Dollar Is About to Collapse—Protect Your Savings Now!”
- Where You See It: YouTube and Facebook “financial warning” videos
- The Lie: That the economy is moments away from collapse and you need to act fast.
- The Truth: These are fear tactics used to sell gold, silver, or risky crypto schemes. Talk to a trusted financial advisor—not a stranger online.
- “Doctors Don’t Want You to Know This Simple Health Trick!”
- Where You See It: Pop-up ads, YouTube, email
- The Lie: That there’s a hidden natural cure doctors are keeping from you.
- The Truth: It’s just a hook to sell miracle pills or books. Most of these “tricks” have no real scientific support.
- “Artificial Intelligence Can Make You Rich Overnight”
- Where You See It: Facebook ads, YouTube tutorials
- The Lie: That you can sit back while a computer makes you money.
- The Truth: These are modern versions of “get-rich-quick” schemes. Often, the only person getting rich is the one selling you the software.
- “The Earth Is Flat—And NASA Lied to You”
- Where You See It: YouTube conspiracy videos
- The Lie: That the world is hiding the truth from regular folks like you.
- The Truth: These videos are made to go viral and earn money through controversy, not facts. They prey on curiosity and distrust.
- “Comment Below to Win a Free iPhone!”
- Where You See It: YouTube comments, Facebook posts
- The Lie: That companies are giving away phones just for fun.
- The Truth: Scammers use this to collect your personal information or get you to sign up for fake services. Never give out your phone number or card info for a “prize.”
- “Say These 3 Words to Attract Money Instantly”
- Where You See It: TikTok and Instagram videos
- The Lie: That magical phrases can bring you cash or change your life.
- The Truth: It’s often a ploy to sell journals, books, or courses. Positive thinking is helpful—but it doesn’t replace real-world action.
- “Don’t Use Sunscreen—It Causes Cancer”
- Where You See It: YouTube “health rebel” channels
- The Lie: That sunscreen is a government or pharmaceutical plot.
- The Truth: Sunscreen is one of the best ways to prevent skin cancer. This lie spreads fear to get you to buy homemade or alternative products.
- “This Herb Cures All Diseases—But Big Pharma Doesn’t Want You to Know”
- Where You See It: TikTok, YouTube, email chains
- The Lie: That a natural product can cure everything from arthritis to cancer.
- The Truth: Herbal remedies can support health, but they aren’t magic. These claims often replace real treatment and put your health at risk.