3. The Derbyshire Fairy
The hoax about the Derbyshire Fairy that ranks third on our list of biggest internet hoaxes that fooled the world was spread online under the title “Do Fairies Live at the Bottom of Your Garden?”, containing pictures which were said to be of a mummified fairy. Allegedly, a dog walker discovered the small body at Firestone Hill in Derbyshire, England, and then had it x-rayed and studied by forensic experts. In 2007, the article reached 20,000 hits in 24 hours. Dan Baines, the man behind the hoax, said it took him four hours daily to answer all the emails he received about the fairy that he made up.
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