While there have been countless alleged Bigfoot sightings and pieces of evidence over the years, many have been exposed as hoaxes or misidentifications. Here are some of the most well-known Bigfoot hoaxes:
The Ray L. Wallace Footprints (1958): This is perhaps one of the most famous and foundational hoaxes in Bigfoot lore. In 1958, large, human-like footprints were discovered around a logging site in Humboldt County, California, managed by Ray L. Wallace. These footprints sparked the widespread use of the term "Bigfoot." After Wallace's death in 2002, his family revealed that he had faked the prints using carved wooden feet.
The Georgia Bigfoot Body (2008): In 2008, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claimed to have found the corpse of a Bigfoot in Georgia. They held a press conference and even released a blurry photo of the alleged creature in a freezer. The "body" was eventually revealed to be a rubber gorilla costume. Rick Dyer later confessed to the hoax in 2014.
Rick Dyer's Subsequent Hoaxes (2012 onwards): After his 2008 hoax, Rick Dyer continued to make claims of finding or killing Bigfoot-like creatures in later years, often with promises of revealing definitive proof. These claims were consistently met with skepticism and later admitted by Dyer himself to be fabricated.
FBI Hair Analysis (1970s): While not a direct hoax perpetrated by a "Bigfoot hunter," it's a significant instance of alleged evidence being debunked. In the 1970s, Peter Byrne of the Bigfoot Information Center and Exhibition sent hair samples believed to be from Bigfoot to the FBI for analysis. The FBI concluded that the hairs were "of deer family origin."
Tom Biscardi: A Controversial Figure in Bigfoot Research
Tom Biscardi, a self-proclaimed "Real Bigfoot Hunter," has been involved in multiple purported Bigfoot discoveries that were later exposed as hoaxes.
What he did: Biscardi was a key promoter of the 2008 "Bigfoot in a freezer" hoax with Rick Dyer and Matthew Whitton, vouching for the authenticity of the "corpse" at a press conference. After the hoax was exposed, Biscardi claimed he was a victim of the deception. However, this was not his first brush with controversy. In 2005, he claimed to have a captive Bigfoot and charged people to view it via a webcam, a claim that also proved to be baseless.
Ivan Marx: The Filmmaker of Deception
In the 1970s, filmmaker Ivan Marx produced several pieces of footage that have since been widely discredited.
The "Crippled Foot" Footage (1973): One of his most famous films, featured in his movie The Legend of Bigfoot, allegedly shows a Bigfoot with a limp, foraging for food.
The Deception: Skeptics and researchers later pointed out numerous red flags. His wife, Peggy Marx, eventually admitted in interviews that their footage was staged. She revealed that the "crippled" Bigfoot was simply her walking through the woods in a fur suit her husband had made. They also faked footprints using simple carved wooden stompers. Marx's motivation appeared to be creating compelling content for his documentaries.
Common Elements and Lasting Damage of Hoaxes
These stories reveal a pattern in how Bigfoot hoaxes are constructed and the negative impact they have.
The Toolkit of a Hoaxer:
Fake Tracks: The easiest and most common form of evidence to fake, using carved wooden feet, foam molds, or even one's own hands.
The Costume: Invariably an ape or gorilla suit, sometimes modified with extra fur or padding.
Blurry Photos/Videos: Shaky cameras, long distances, and poor lighting are used to obscure the details of the suit and the human-like movement.
The Media Blitz: A press release or a YouTube video to generate hype, often followed by a press conference.
Monetization: Charging for interviews, selling photos, creating pay-per-view events, or going on paid tours.
The Impact on Serious Research: The proliferation of these hoaxes has done immense damage to the field of cryptozoology. They poison the well of evidence, making it nearly impossible for any potentially genuine discovery to be taken seriously by mainstream science or the public. Every blurry photo is compared to the Patterson-Gimlin film, and every new footprint discovery is immediately suspected of being another Ray Wallace-style prank. The actions of these hoaxers have ensured that the search for Bigfoot remains, for many, a sideshow rather than a serious scientific inquiry.
are their any more hoaxers to add?
Show thinking
Yes, the gallery of Bigfoot hoaxers extends further. While the previously mentioned individuals are some of the most prominent, several other cases have made headlines or have been definitively debunked over the years. Here are more hoaxers and notable hoaxes to add to the list.
Frank Hansen and the "Minnesota Iceman"
This case is a classic from the golden age of sideshow attractions and cryptozoology. It involved a mysterious, hairy hominid frozen in a block of ice, but the story behind it was as murky as the ice itself.
What it Was: In the late 1960s, a showman and former Air Force pilot named Frank Hansen began exhibiting a carnival attraction he called the "Minnesota Iceman." It was a hairy, human-like creature with a squashed nose and a visible wound, frozen in a large block of ice inside a refrigerated coffin. Hansen claimed he was merely the creature's guardian for an anonymous, wealthy owner.
The Controversy and Investigation: The exhibit attracted the attention of prominent cryptozoologists Ivan T. Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans, who examined it in 1968. They were convinced it was a genuine, unknown primate—possibly a Neanderthal—and published papers on their findings. The FBI was even alerted over concerns that the creature had been shot and killed, which could constitute a homicide. The Smithsonian Institution also expressed interest in examining it.
The Hoax Revealed: Under pressure from potential scientific and legal scrutiny, Hansen withdrew the original figure from his tour. He later reappeared with a new, much more fake-looking model, claiming the original had been returned to its owner. In reality, the "Iceman" was a custom-made latex and hair creation by Hollywood prop-maker Howard Ball. It's believed Hansen switched the models to avoid having his original, more realistic creation seized and exposed by authorities. The entire saga was a clever carnival ruse designed to part fairgoers from their money.
The "Snow-walker" Footage (1996)
Often presented as compelling evidence, this footage from Quebec, Canada, has since been identified as a student film project.
What it Was: The short, grainy video shows a large, dark, bipedal figure moving through a snowy, wooded landscape. For years, it was circulated in Bigfoot documentaries and online forums as potentially authentic evidence from an anonymous source. The snowy setting made it unique and difficult to analyze.
The Hoax Revealed: The footage was eventually traced back to a video project created by students. The "creature" was simply one of the students in a costume. While not a malicious hoax intended for profit, its circulation out of context contributed to the body of "evidence" for Bigfoot for many years until its origins were clarified.
Justin Smeja and the "Sierra Kills" Story
This is a modern, highly controversial case that, while not definitively proven to be a hoax in a court of law, is widely considered to be a fabricated story by most researchers in the Bigfoot community.
What He Claimed: In 2010, Justin Smeja, a hunter, came forward with a sensational story. He claimed that while hunting in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, he shot and killed not one, but two Bigfoot—an adult and a juvenile. He alleged that he took a small piece of flesh and hair from the adult female before leaving the scene in a panic. He stated he could not relocate the bodies afterward.
The "Evidence" and Aftermath: Smeja provided the piece of flesh for DNA analysis as part of Dr. Melba Ketchum's "Sasquatch Genome Project." While the project controversially claimed to have proven the existence of Bigfoot, other independent labs that tested samples associated with the project found they were a mix of bear, opossum, and human DNA, with the human DNA often matching the handlers (like Smeja).
Why It's Considered a Hoax: Smeja's story has numerous inconsistencies, and his inability to relocate two massive bodies in an area he knew well struck many as unbelievable. Furthermore, his account of the shooting has changed over time. The lack of any corroborating physical evidence (bones, bodies, or verifiable, non-contaminated DNA) has led the vast majority of the community to dismiss the "Sierra Kills" story as a fabrication created for attention.
Todd Standing and "Sylvanic"
Todd Standing is a Canadian filmmaker and Bigfoot researcher who has produced a significant amount of controversial photographic and video evidence. He is a polarizing figure, with a small group of believers and a much larger group of critics who accuse him of perpetrating an ongoing hoax.
What He Presents: Standing claims to have had multiple close-up encounters with Sasquatch in an area he calls "Sylvanic." His evidence consists of several high-definition videos and photos of what appear to be Bigfoot faces peeking from behind trees. One famous image is of a creature he nicknamed "Blinky" because it appears to blink in the video.
Why It's Considered a Hoax: Critics argue that Standing's "Bigfoots" are clearly puppets, masks, or animatronics. The faces often appear static, the eye sockets unnaturally deep and black, and the facial movements limited. Experienced primatologists and special effects artists have pointed out that the subjects lack the subtle muscle movements and life-like qualities of a real animal. Many believe Standing uses elaborate puppets to create his evidence and promote his guided tours and documentaries, such as "Discovering Bigfoot." His refusal to provide raw, unedited footage or allow independent, skeptical experts to examine his sites has solidified this view.
Paul Freeman: The Controversial Footprint-Finder
Paul Freeman was a U.S. Forest Service patrolman who, in the 1980s and 1990s, produced a significant amount of physical "evidence" from the Blue Mountains region of Washington and Oregon. While some researchers once championed his finds, many now believe he was a sophisticated hoaxer.
The Deception: Freeman's primary contributions were dozens of exceptionally clear plaster casts of Bigfoot tracks. Unlike many crude fakes, his casts often featured detailed "dermal ridges" (fingerprint-like patterns) and other anatomical nuances that seemed convincing. He also shot a shaky video in 1994 (known as the "Freeman Footage") showing a reddish-brown creature walking through the woods.
The Exposure: The case against Freeman is largely technical. Dr. Grover Krantz, a physical anthropologist and prominent Bigfoot researcher, initially supported Freeman but later grew suspicious. Other experts, including Dr. Jeff Meldrum, noted that the dermal ridges on Freeman's casts were too uniform and lacked the natural variation and scarring one would expect from a living animal's foot. The prevailing theory is that Freeman fabricated a highly detailed set of foot stompers, possibly using a technique involving casting his own hand and then enlarging and manipulating the prints. His inability to pass a polygraph test on the matter further eroded his credibility.
The "Myakka Skunk Ape" Photos
The "Skunk Ape" is Florida's version of Bigfoot, a legend centered in the Everglades. In 2000, two of the most famous photos of this creature emerged, but they are widely considered to be fakes.
The Deception: An anonymous woman mailed two photographs to the Sarasota County, Florida, Sheriff's Department. She claimed to have taken them in her backyard near the Myakka River, stating that an ape-like creature had been stealing apples from her porch for several nights. The photos show a large, dark, hairy figure with glowing eyes, looking somewhat like an orangutan.
The Exposure: Researchers immediately flagged the photos as suspicious. The creature's proportions seemed off, and the texture of its fur looked suspiciously like a costume, possibly a modified ghillie suit used for hunting camouflage. Loren Coleman, a leading cryptozoologist, noted its strong resemblance to an orangutan and suggested it could be an escaped pet. However, the most common theory is that it was simply a person in a costume. The anonymous nature of the submission and the lack of any follow-up evidence have led most investigators to file the Myakka photos under "hoax."
Rick Jacobs and the Pennsylvania "Youth" Photo
This 2007 case gained national attention when a photo of a supposed juvenile Bigfoot was posted online, but it was quickly debunked by the very organization that was investigating it.
The Deception: A Pennsylvania man named Rick Jacobs set up a motion-triggered camera in the Allegheny National Forest. The camera captured an image of a gaunt, bipedal creature that looked somewhat like a mangy bear but walked on two legs. Jacobs submitted the photo to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO). The photo was leaked online and became an instant sensation, with many believers hailing it as definitive proof.
The Exposure: The excitement was short-lived. The Pennsylvania Game Commission examined the photo and quickly identified the creature. It was not a young Bigfoot but simply an emaciated black bear suffering from a severe case of mange, a skin disease that causes hair loss and skin irritation. The bear's front paws were likely tucked under its chest, giving it an oddly bipedal appearance in the single still photograph. The BFRO subsequently retracted its initial enthusiastic assessment, and the "Jacobs photo" is now used as a textbook example of misidentification.
The Stanly County, North Carolina Hoax (2010)
This incident is a prime example of a local prank that spiraled into a media event before being unceremoniously debunked.
The Deception: In August 2010, reports of a "blood-curdling scream" and sightings of a "hairy beast" emerged from the Uwharrie National Forest in Stanly County, NC. A local group called "The Uwharrie Bigfoot" posted a blurry video of a figure in a Bigfoot costume on YouTube. The group's leader gave interviews to local news, stoking fears and curiosity.
The Exposure: The hoax unraveled when a local radio station, responding to the media frenzy, offered a $1,000 bounty for the costume used in the video. Within days, a man came forward admitting he was the one in the suit. The entire event was a publicity stunt concocted by the "Uwharrie Bigfoot" group to promote their organization. They returned the costume to the rental shop where they had acquired it, putting a definitive end to the sighting.
The "Jacko" Hoax of 1884
Long before the term "Bigfoot" existed, stories of "wild men" circulated in North America. The "Jacko" story is perhaps the most famous 19th-century Bigfoot hoax, demonstrating that faking ape-men is not a modern phenomenon.
The Deception: On July 3, 1884, a story appeared in the Victoria, British Columbia newspaper, the Daily Colonist. It reported that a train crew near the town of Yale had captured a small, ape-like creature they nicknamed "Jacko." He was described as being "something of the gorilla type" and covered in thick, black, glossy hair. The story, presented as factual news, was picked up by papers across North America and even in Europe, becoming a sensation.
The Exposure: The story was simply too good to be true. No follow-up reports of "Jacko" ever appeared, and no credible witnesses ever saw the creature in captivity. Historical researchers have since concluded that the entire article was a "tall tale," a common practice for newspapers of the era to fill space and entertain readers. The editor of the Daily Colonist, a man named R.E. Gosnell, later admitted the story was a fabrication he had written to liven up a slow news day. The "Jacko" incident remains a classic example of journalistic fraud creating a cryptozoological mystery.
The Pangboche Monastery "Yeti Finger"
This case crosses continents and involves Hollywood royalty, world-famous explorers, and modern DNA science to debunk a sacred relic.
The Deception: For centuries, the Pangboche Monastery in Nepal held what it claimed was the hand and scalp of a Yeti. In 1958, explorer Peter Byrne, on an expedition funded by American oilman Tom Slick, persuaded the monks to let him borrow one of the fingers. To circumvent a ban on removing the "relic," Byrne and his team allegedly replaced the original finger with a human one. The finger was then smuggled out of India to London with the help of actor James Stewart and his wife, who hid it in her lingerie case.
The Exposure: The finger was held by the Royal College of Surgeons in London. For decades, it was considered key evidence for the Yeti's existence. In 2011, technology finally caught up with the legend. The finger was subjected to DNA testing. The definitive result: the "Yeti finger" was of human origin. The Pangboche "Yeti Hand" was an elaborate, generations-old hoax or misidentification, created to give the monastery prestige and attract pilgrims and tourists.
Robert "Gawryluk" and the St. Martin Hoax
This 2005 Canadian case is a rare example of a community-wide hoax perpetrated not for fame, but for a desperate attempt at economic stimulus.
The Deception: A man named Robert Gawryluk from the tiny, struggling town of St. Martin, Manitoba, began planting large, three-toed tracks in the snow. He then contacted a local television station with a story about a mysterious creature frightening his cattle. The story was designed to attract the attention of a popular paranormal investigation TV show, Shadow Chasers. Gawryluk and other townspeople hoped that luring the show to their remote location would bring a much-needed tourism boost.
The Exposure: The hoax unraveled quickly. Experienced trackers and investigators immediately noted that the three-toed tracks were inconsistent with primate anatomy and nearly identical to the feet of the "Sheepsquatch," a monster from the video game Fallout 3. Furthermore, the hoaxers had made a critical error: they left tracks leading to the road where they parked their truck, but no tracks leading away from it. Faced with scrutiny, Gawryluk confessed to the CBC, admitting he "just made it up" in a misguided attempt to help his town.
Mountain Beast Mysteries (YouTube Hoax)
This incident from 2021 demonstrates the modern template for a Bigfoot hoax: using YouTube and social media to create a viral sensation before cashing in.
The Deception: A Virginia-based YouTube channel called Mountain Beast Mysteries posted a video titled "We Found Bigfoot... And It's Not What You Think." The clip showed one of the hosts seemingly being charged by a large, hairy figure in the woods. The video went viral within the Bigfoot community, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. The channel's creators gave interviews and acted as if the event was genuine, promising more revelations to come.
The Exposure: The group's story quickly fell apart. Other Bigfoot researchers analyzed the footage and pointed out numerous flaws, including the very costume-like appearance of the "creature" and the suspicious camera work. Under pressure from the community, and just before they were scheduled to appear on a popular Bigfoot podcast, the creators posted a confession video. They admitted the entire event was staged using a ghillie suit and that their goal was to create a viral video series. They apologized for misleading their followers, providing a clear-cut example of a deliberate digital-age hoax.
Raymond "Scott" Dolphin: The Highway Hoaxer
This 2012 case from Montana is a stark reminder that hoaxing can have dangerous, real-world consequences. It stands out because the hoaxer was not only exposed but also faced legal charges for his actions.
The Deception: In August 2012, reports emerged of a Bigfoot sighting on Highway 93 near the town of Kalispell. A driver reported seeing a hairy creature on the side of the road and swerving, causing another car to strike the figure.
The Exposure: When Montana Highway Patrol troopers arrived, they didn't find a cryptid. They found 48-year-old Raymond "Scott" Dolphin being treated by paramedics. Dolphin, who was wearing a military-style ghillie suit (a camouflage outfit made of loose strips of fabric and burlap), admitted he was trying to provoke a Bigfoot sighting. He told officers his goal was to "make people believe." He was hit by one car and nearly hit by two others. Dolphin was subsequently charged with obstructing a peace officer and disorderly conduct. His case is a prime example of a hoax that endangered both the perpetrator and the public.
The "Old Red" of Salt Fork State Park
This Ohio-based hoax from 2011 illustrates how local legends can be deliberately manufactured for commercial gain, specifically to promote another type of monster-themed attraction.
The Deception: A man named Donn Bonn started circulating a compelling story in the Bigfoot community. He claimed that while deer hunting in Ohio's Salt Fork State Park—a known hotspot for Bigfoot sightings—he encountered a massive, red-haired Sasquatch he nicknamed "Old Red." He provided vivid details of the encounter, which was picked up by local news and paranormal blogs.
The Exposure: Bonn's story began to unravel under questioning from seasoned investigators. A few months after his initial claim, he confessed to the hosts of the "Bigfoot Show" podcast. He admitted the entire "Old Red" story was a fabrication. His motivation was purely commercial: he owned a local haunted trail attraction, and he concocted the Bigfoot story as a publicity stunt to drive business and attract monster enthusiasts to the area.
The Harrison Hot Springs Video Hoax
This 2009 incident from British Columbia, Canada, is a classic example of a digital-age hoax that was quickly debunked by the collective power of the internet and local knowledge.
The Deception: A video was uploaded to YouTube by a user named "Don Williams" showing what appeared to be a classic Bigfoot figure walking on a wooded ridge above Harrison Hot Springs, a well-known tourist destination and a historical hotbed for Sasquatch lore. The video was clear enough to generate significant initial excitement.
The Exposure: Local residents and Sasquatch researchers almost immediately identified the exact location of the filming. They pointed out that the ridge was easily accessible and located right next to a popular resort. More importantly, the scale was off; by comparing the figure to the known size of the trees, it was clear the "creature" was only about 5 feet tall. Within days, the hoax was so thoroughly debunked by the online community that the original poster took the video down. It serves as a case study in how quickly internet-based hoaxes can be dismantled by crowdsourced expertise.
Justin Humphrey and the Oklahoma Bigfoot Bounty
This 2021 incident is a unique case where the "hoax" was not a faked sighting but a piece of legislation introduced as a political stunt, blurring the lines between governance and folklore.
The Deception: Justin Humphrey, a Republican state representative in Oklahoma, introduced House Bill 1648. The bill proposed establishing an official Bigfoot hunting season and offering a bounty for the creature's capture, initially set at $25,000, which he later raised to over $3 million. The story was picked up by international news outlets, presenting Oklahoma as actively legislating a monster hunt.
The Exposure: While the bill was real, Humphrey's intentions were not to literally hunt a monster. He admitted the bill was a way to promote tourism in his rural district, which includes the heavily wooded Ouachita Mountains, a location featured in the popular TV show Finding Bigfoot. He stated the ultimate goal was a "catch-and-release" policy and that no harm would come to a potential Sasquatch. The bill was a publicity stunt disguised as legislation, designed to leverage the Bigfoot legend to attract tourists and their money to southeastern Oklahoma. The bill ultimately stalled in committee, but not before achieving its goal of generating massive publicity.
The Mill Creek Park Video Hoax (2012)
This hoax, centered in Youngstown, Ohio, is a classic example of a "man-in-a-suit" video created for local media attention and online buzz.
The Hoax: A video surfaced that appeared to show a large, dark, Bigfoot-like creature walking through Mill Creek Park, a large urban park in Youngstown. The footage was promoted by local media, causing a stir in the Mahoning Valley. It was shaky and grainy enough to create debate, and for a short time, it was treated as a potentially legitimate sighting.
The Exposure: The video was quickly debunked by skeptics and experienced researchers. The gait of the creature was clearly human, and its appearance was consistent with a commercially available costume. It was later revealed to be a prank orchestrated by local filmmakers or personalities associated with a local radio show. Their goal was simply to create a viral video and see how much attention they could generate from the local community and media.
The Madison Township Tracks (2015)
This incident from Richland County is a textbook case of a small-town prank, showing how easily a Bigfoot story can take root, even when the creators are just teenagers having fun.
The Hoax: In the winter of 2015, mysterious, large, human-like tracks began appearing in the snow in Madison Township, alarming some residents. The tracks were well-formed and led through remote, wooded areas. A local woman took photos of the tracks and reported them, leading to an investigation by the Madison Township Police Department.
The Exposure: The police investigation didn't last long. An officer followed the tracks and discovered they led back to the home of a local teenager. When questioned, the youth and his friends confessed to the prank. They admitted they had built a pair of large, wooden "Bigfoot stompers" that they strapped to their boots to create the tracks in the snow. Their only motivation was to scare their friends and see if they could fool their small community. The police department closed the case after confiscating the wooden feet.
Allen Padgett: The Caddo Lake Prankster
In the vein of Ray Wallace, Allen Padgett was a long-running prankster who manufactured evidence for his own amusement and to enliven the folklore of his local East Texas community.
The Hoax: For years, starting in the late 1960s, Padgett was responsible for a series of large, mysterious footprints found around Caddo Lake, a swampy and atmospheric region on the Texas-Louisiana border already rich with "Wild Man" legends. He created the tracks using a pair of oversized wooden feet he had carved, which he would strap to his boots.
The Exposure: Padgett's prank was a local secret for decades. He finally came forward and confessed to a Texas-based cryptozoology author, Rob Riggs, in the early 2000s. He revealed the entire story and even produced the wooden stompers he had used. Like Ray Wallace, his motivation was not malicious or for-profit, but simply the thrill of creating a local mystery and watching it grow. His actions are believed to be the source of many of the Bigfoot reports from that specific region during that era.
Peter Caine's "Bigfoot in a Cooler"
This New York-based hoax from 2014 is a direct echo of the Rick Dyer "Bigfoot in a freezer" saga, involving a supposed Sasquatch corpse preserved for display.
The Hoax: Peter Caine, a resident of Horseheads, New York, gained significant online attention when he claimed to be in possession of the severed head and body of a Bigfoot he and his father had supposedly killed in 1994. He posted numerous videos and photos of a very gruesome "head" and other remains stored in a large blue cooler. He claimed the creature had been raiding their dog food supplies.
The Exposure: While the props were grisly enough to convince some, many observers noted that the "head" looked like a modified mask (specifically, a mask of the character "Gorn" from Star Trek) combined with animal hides and fake gore. After milking the story for attention, Caine eventually admitted it was a hoax. He explained that the prop was constructed from a Halloween mask, raccoon hides, and horse meat. His motivation appeared to be a mix of artistic expression, a social experiment to test gullibility, and the pursuit of YouTube notoriety.
The "Forbidden Pulas(ki) County Files" Hoax
This case from Indiana is another example of the "found footage" genre being used to perpetrate a Bigfoot hoax, similar to the "Snow-walker" footage or the Mountain Beast Mysteries incident.
The Hoax: In the early 2010s, a video began circulating online titled "The Forbidden Pulas(ki) County Files." The found-footage style film depicted a group of friends on a camping trip in rural Pulaski County, Indiana, who have a terrifying nighttime encounter with an aggressive Bigfoot. The shaky camera work and panicked acting were intended to make the footage appear authentic.
The Exposure: The video was initially presented as a genuine and mysterious piece of evidence. However, it was soon debunked by investigators within the Bigfoot community. They pointed out common filmmaking tropes and the convenient camera angles that obscured the creature. It was eventually confirmed to be a staged amateur film project created by a group of friends. While not a malicious or for-profit hoax, its intentional misrepresentation as "real forbidden files" places it squarely in the hoax category, contributing to the noise that genuine researchers must filter through.
