Fact Or Fiction: Scams, Hoaxes & Fake Offers
Updated: Sep 5
Fact Or Fiction is our evidence hub for fabricated letters, fake offers, scams and deliberately manufactured hoaxes. Each entry starts with the claim as people are likely to encounter it, separates what is known from what is assumed, and links readers to the evidence used for the verdict.
Latest check — reviewed 4 September 2026
The Bexley Council asylum warning letter was fake. Verdict: false. The document used official-looking language to warn residents about supposed asylum seekers and implied risks to women, pets and property. Bexley Council said it did not issue the letter and the matter was referred to police. The hoax worked by borrowing the visual authority of a real institution and attaching fear to a politically charged subject.
How we check claims
We identify the original source, check dates and context, look for primary evidence where possible, and distinguish a false statement from a true fact presented in a misleading way. When evidence is incomplete, the verdict should say so rather than forcing certainty.
What you will find here
Claims are updated as new evidence appears. Corrections are part of the process, not something to hide. Screenshots and viral clips can disappear, so we preserve enough context for readers to understand exactly what was checked.
A fake document borrows trust from the real world
The most convincing hoaxes rarely look ridiculous. They copy a council crest, supermarket logo, government colour scheme or familiar Facebook page. They use the visual language of an institution so the reader reacts before asking whether the institution actually produced it.
That can be used for ordinary fraud, but it can also be used politically. A fabricated council letter can manufacture fear about asylum seekers. A fake quote can turn a public figure into a villain. A false giveaway can harvest personal details. The motive may differ, but the mechanism is the same: borrow credibility, trigger emotion and make verification feel slower than sharing.
What we check
We look for the supposed document on the organisation’s own website, examine the domain and destination of links, compare branding and contact details, and look for direct warnings from the organisation, police, Action Fraud or regulators. For viral material we also trace earlier versions because a supposedly new British claim may be a years old hoax recycled from another country.
Do not reward the hoax
TruthVsHate.com view on this story
Where possible we describe enough of a scam for readers to recognise it without reproducing working links, personal details or instructions that could help somebody repeat it. The point of documenting misinformation is to reduce its reach, not give it a better distribution network.
Start with reliable sources
Truth Vs Hate publishes the sources behind our reporting so readers can check the evidence, context and claims for themselves. Transparency matters because readers should be able to verify what we say rather than simply take our word for it.
Useful starting points include GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/ , the Office for National Statistics https://www.ons.gov.uk/ , Full Fact https://fullfact.org/ , Ofcom https://www.ofcom.org.uk/ and the relevant regulator or public body for the claim.
How we handle scams, hoaxes and fake offers
We verify the organisation named in the message, the destination of any link, whether a supposed document appears on an official website and whether the offer asks for money or personal information through an unusual route. Fabricated council letters and copied brand logos are common because familiarity makes a false message feel trustworthy.
Where possible we link to the organisation’s own warning or a regulator such as Action Fraud, the FCA or the relevant public body. If a scam is still circulating, we preserve enough detail to help readers recognise the pattern without reproducing information that would make the fraud easier to repeat.
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