It’s not uncommon for hoaxes to circulate on the Internet, and most of them are easy to spot. Every now and then, a really good story comes along that seems like it would just have to be true. Usually these hoaxes are the most shocking and popular and also get the most attention.
A recent story about a little girl with a scarred face being asked to leave a KFC was proven to be a hoax. While the story seemed believable, most people who read it or heard it hoped that it wasn’t true and that the world would not be so cruel to a child.
The story claimed that a young girl around the age of three was eating dinner in a KFC restaurant with her family. The little girl was scarred after a dog attack and allegedly had a broken jaw, nose, cheek bones and eye socket. The girl’s appearance shocked and bothered other people in the restaurant and she was asked to leave by employees.
Was the KFC pit bull girl one big HOAX?? http://t.co/gKNzjBWJ9J pic.twitter.com/O8fRgYEpN3
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 24, 2014
Perhaps the most disturbing part to the story is that it was made up by the little girl’s family members. While a young girl did undergo surgery after a dog attack and suffered from the same injuries, she did not eat at a KFC restarant the day her family had claimed. The restaurant found that there was no such girl caught on video and no receipt matching the order that the family claimed to make.
An investigation conducted by the restaurant chain determined the story was not true.
“After the alleged incident was reported to us, two investigations took place, including one by an independent investigator. Neither revealed any evidence that the incident occurred, and we consider the investigation closed,” KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said.
The family’s hoax seemed to be working out to their advantage until the truth came out. The family had raised over $100,000 to pay for the girl’s medical expenses. Most of the money came from donations made by people who felt sorry for the little girl’s KFC story.
What should happen to all those donations if #KFCGirl story is a hoax? http://t.co/zz6cPpXCOw pic.twitter.com/nFaY3nTUny
— Morning Express (@MorningExp) June 25, 2014
Did you believe the story and do you think the family members who made up the hoax should be arrested or sued by KFC?
Image via Wikimedia Commons