People believed it, shared it, and swore by it—but none of it was ever true.
There’s something addictive about a juicy trend, especially when it pops up with shiny graphics, influencer endorsements, and a few million views. The internet moves fast, and so does our willingness to believe something simply because it’s new, funny, or sounds just plausible enough. The truth? Some of the wildest viral trends that dominated our feeds were total fabrications—half-baked myths, staged stunts, or flat-out hoaxes.
Many of these trends weren’t just silly or strange. Some were downright dangerous, costing people real money, real time, or worse. They spread like wildfire because they tapped into curiosity, fear, or vanity—three things that social media loves to amplify. But once the truth caught up, the damage had already been done. If you ever tried one of these trends yourself, you’re not alone. And if you laughed at others for falling for them, well, maybe keep reading. You might be surprised which ones fooled more people than you’d think.
1. The Tide Pod Challenge was never supposed to be real.
It started as a meme. A dark, ridiculous joke about how colorful Tide Pods looked “good enough to eat”, according to Brett Cruz at Security Org. The original gag poked fun at how absurd it would be to actually ingest detergent. But once the internet got ahold of it, the line between parody and reality blurred fast. Suddenly, news outlets were reporting that teens were actually eating them—and a full-blown moral panic exploded.
While a small number of incidents did happen, the vast majority of the hysteria was inflated. The real danger wasn’t that millions of kids were downing laundry soap—it was that adults believed the worst about Gen Z without checking the facts. The more people shared their outrage, the more the myth grew. It became another case of media exaggeration wrapped in just enough truth to feel urgent. And in the end, Tide had to issue warnings for something that was never meant to be taken seriously in the first place.
2. The blue/black vs. white/gold dress debate was just a lighting illusion.
This one didn’t start as a prank—but it definitely went viral because people were absolutely convinced there was some secret answer. When a photo of a dress hit the internet, half the world swore it was white and gold, while the other half insisted it was blue and black. It wasn’t a hoax in the traditional sense, but the psychological reaction was so intense that it took on a life of its own.
The debate had people questioning their eyesight, arguing with friends, and even doubting reality. The truth? It was all about how your brain interpreted light and color, based on the photo’s ambiguous background lighting, as reported by Pascal Wallisch. No trickery, no Photoshop—just human perception doing weird human things. While no one was harmed, this trend showed how quickly people jump to conclusions, stake their reputations on gut instincts, and forget that not everything on the internet is what it seems.
3. The Facebook privacy notice copy-paste did absolutely nothing.
At least once a year, this one still pops up. A block of legal-sounding nonsense, claiming that if you copy and paste a specific post, you’re protecting your privacy rights on Facebook, as stated by Jose Manases at BBC. The message warns about copyright, government snooping, and shady changes to your account—all of it designed to sound just official enough to panic people into action.
But it’s always been 100% bogus. Posting that status does absolutely nothing to change your terms of service. Facebook owns your data the second you create an account and agree to their terms—which you did, whether you read them or not. The fact that this hoax keeps resurfacing proves how little people understand about digital privacy. It’s not about public declarations—it’s about understanding what you sign up for and how to control your own data settings.
4. The Kylie Jenner lip challenge actually injured people.
This trend wasn’t just fake—it was physically harmful. After Kylie Jenner debuted her noticeably plumper lips, teens on social media started trying to recreate the look using shot glasses, bottles, or other suction-based tools to “inflate” their lips. The results were painful, bruising, and sometimes required medical treatment.
Kylie eventually admitted her lips were the result of fillers, not vacuum pressure. But by that point, the challenge had gone viral, and kids were documenting their botched attempts with pride. It was a strange moment in beauty culture—part fascination, part self-destruction—all powered by misinformation and the illusion that a look could be achieved instantly and for free. Turns out, the real price was a swollen face and a long lesson in critical thinking.
5. The moon melon never existed.
A vibrant photo of a glowing blue watermelon made its rounds online, claiming it was a rare fruit found only in Japan. The so-called “moon melon” was said to have a sweet-sour taste and bizarre properties, including the ability to alter how your taste buds worked. The image was captivating, and the story felt just plausible enough to believe.
But it was all made up. The image was digitally altered, and no such fruit has ever existed. Still, people shared it enthusiastically, convinced that the internet had uncovered some secret exotic produce. It’s the kind of harmless hoax that reveals how eager people are to believe the magical over the mundane. A plain old watermelon just isn’t exciting enough—but add a little neon and a fake backstory, and suddenly it becomes internet gold.
6. The Bill Gates fortune-sharing hoax fooled millions.
You’ve probably seen this one: “Bill Gates is giving away money! Share this post and he’ll pick a random person to win $5,000!” It sounds completely ridiculous, but it’s been shared millions of times by people who genuinely thought they had a shot at easy money. The post usually includes some bogus quote and a grainy photo of Gates in a suit, smiling like he’s about to cut a check.
Of course, there was never a giveaway. No billionaire is combing their feed for loyal resharing fans. These kinds of scams prey on people’s hope, curiosity, and gullibility. They don’t always steal money, but they do harvest engagement, inflate fake accounts, and spread misinformation. It’s a digital-age lottery ticket—except the only person who wins is the one farming your data.
7. The ice bucket challenge got misrepresented quickly.
This trend actually started with good intentions: raise awareness and money for ALS. And it worked, generating millions in donations. But as it spread, people started doing it just to get views—often skipping the donation part entirely. It became more about spectacle than substance, and in many cases, participants didn’t even know what ALS stood for.
It’s a rare example of a viral trend that wasn’t completely fake but lost its meaning as it grew. The original spirit got diluted by ego, peer pressure, and people chasing likes. That doesn’t make it a hoax, but it does show how quickly even meaningful causes can become empty gestures when social media takes over. When everything’s a challenge, nothing feels that challenging anymore.
8. The banana cure for depression wasn’t real science.
A viral post once claimed that eating bananas could cure depression because of their dopamine-boosting power. It circulated widely, packaged in cheerful fonts and wellness influencer vibes. The truth? Bananas contain small amounts of dopamine, but they don’t cross the blood-brain barrier—and they’re nowhere near strong enough to replace therapy or medication.
This one wasn’t malicious, but it was dangerous in its own way. It suggested that mental illness could be “solved” with a snack, downplaying the complexity of depression. It also reinforced the idea that people suffering were somehow not doing enough for themselves. Wellness culture can be a sneaky delivery system for shame disguised as inspiration—and this trend is a prime example of that subtle harm.
9. The 5G towers caused COVID theory was pure conspiracy.
This theory spread like wildfire during the pandemic, claiming that 5G cell towers were causing or amplifying COVID-19 symptoms. The idea had zero scientific basis, but it led to real-world consequences—including people setting towers on fire and attacking telecom workers. It’s one of the most destructive viral lies to date.
It gained traction because it tapped into fear and mistrust—two things that thrive online. Once people feel powerless, they grab onto whatever makes them feel informed or in control. Even nonsense feels better than uncertainty. This hoax proved how quickly conspiracy theories can morph into public danger, especially when technology, health, and fear intersect.
10. The “pizzagate” scandal was a fake story with real consequences.
This was one of the darker internet hoaxes to go mainstream. It claimed that a pizza shop in Washington D.C. was the center of a child trafficking ring involving high-level politicians. Despite having no evidence, the theory spread on social media and led to a man storming the restaurant with a gun, demanding to “rescue” the imaginary victims.
It’s easy to laugh at fake fruits and celebrity stunts. But this trend showed how a viral lie, left unchecked, could end in violence. It wasn’t just an internet joke—it was a warning. As long as people confuse “popular” with “true,” stories like this will keep surfacing. And each time, the line between belief and delusion gets a little blurrier.