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Justin Bieber Cancer Hoax: Internet Trolls Try To Convince Fans To Go #BaldforBieber (TWEETS)

Trolls Try To Convince Justin Bieber Fans To Shave Their Heads By Spreading Rumor That Pop Star Has Cancer
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By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

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Justin Bieber fans take note: The pop megastar does not have cancer.

As Mashable notes, a Twitter hoax claiming the pop icon was diagnosed with cancer swept through the Internet this week, giving Beliebers everywhere a collective heart attack.

The hoax reportedly started on Oct. 22 with a screenshot of what appeared to be a tweet from Entertainment Tonight's official Twitter account, the tech website writes. The fake tweet announced that Bieber had been "diagnosed with cancer" and "suggested that fans go #BaldforBieber" in support of the pop sensation.

"Pop Star Justin Bieber was diagnosed with cancer earlier this morning. Bieber fans are shaving their heads to show their support," the tweet read, according to Gawker.

Before long, tribute videos, Facebook pages and a website -- BaldforBieber.com -- were launched, fueling the claim.

On BaldforBieber.com, for instance, there are Photoshopped tweets from the "Baby" crooner talking about his "diagnosis," as well as a photo gallery showing "fans" who have shaved their heads to in support of the pop star.

According to NBC's Today, many of Bieber's fans fell for the hoax, with more than 900 people tweeting #BaldforBieber over the past week.

Fortunately, however, the potentially disastrous prank was short-lived.

On Reddit Friday, it was revealed that the whole ruse had likely been created by trolls on 4Chan, the online bulletin board.

"People killed the joke pretty quickly by tweeting 'LOL Best PRANK EVER GO 4CHAN #baldforbieber,'" wrote "thelowend6."

Redditor "ErroneousDylan," who claims to have been part of the conspiracy, added:

I was there when we started this...Somebody made a few Twitter accounts, we edited Wikipedia, we spammed chat rooms, and we even posted here on Reddit (but it was deleted for lack of evidence). Somebody made a few fake news posts too which were convincing but without a link it wasn't strong enough.

Though several sites have "claimed that a few Beliebers were ultimately fooled by the ruse" (going so far as to shave their heads), there appears to be "no evidence of this on Twitter or elsewhere," Today writes.

On Friday, flocks of people took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the #BaldforBieber hoax:

The greatest prank of ALL TIME. LOL. thedailywhat.tumblr.com/post/343673619… via @thedailywhat #BaldForBieber

— Chris Altice (@ChrisAltice) October 26, 2012

#baldforbieber please tell me people didn't actually shave their head before source checking this rumor....?

— Dr. SarBear... (@SarahMcGuireJB) October 26, 2012

#BaldForBieber is disgusting. Cancer is not a thing to be joke about but LOL at the Beliebers who literally shaved their heads

— Kirti (@_Kirti__) October 26, 2012

Bieber himself hasn't mentioned the hoax, Today notes. However, his bodyguard Kenny Hamilton was unambiguous in squashing the rumors.

Funny, offensive or terribly irresponsible? Tell us what you think of this Internet hoax in the comments below.

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Before You Go

15 Things Twitter Tells Us About Humanity
What We Eat (And It's Not Good)(01 of15)
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Unfortunately, humanity doesn't eat so well, according to our tweets. The top two food topics last year were the McLobster and Fried Kool-Aid, with Guinness beer not too far behind on the list. For 2012, we expect to see something about the Taco Bell's Dorito Taco. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr:" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb35ab8e4b0fa920b96e653" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="26" data-vars-position-in-unit="49">Flickr:</a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/snype451/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name=" Brian U" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb35ab8e4b0fa920b96e653" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/people/snype451/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="27" data-vars-position-in-unit="50"> Brian U</a>)
Which States Are Going To Heaven And Which Like Beer(02 of15)
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Floatingsheep geotagged about 10 million tweets (from June 22, 20120 to June 28, 2012) and collected data on posts containing the words "church" and "beer." In the graphic, seen above, the blue patches show places where there was more beer-themed tweeting, while the red spots show tweets mentioning church. Researchers found San Francisco had the most beer-related tweets, Dallas tweeted the most about church, and Los Angeles tweeted the most overall. (credit:Floatingsheep)
When Humanity Is Collectively Happy (Or Grumpy)(03 of15)
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A report from Cornell University found that, in general, people are grumpy when they first roll out of bed, but they perk up by breakfast time. Throughout the afternoon our moods start to slump again, only to rise around quittin' time (6 p.m). Cornell researchers found these results by weighing positive verses negative tweets posted by more than 2 million people around the world. Interestingly enough, no matter the location, humanity experienced similar rises and falls in mood throughout the day.Graphic from the New York Times (credit:New York Time)
Where The Chattiest People Live(04 of15)
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A 2012 study by the Oxford Internet Institute found that out of 4.5 million Twitter posts, the U.S. created 30 percent of the world's tweets, followed by Brazil with 22 percent. The United Kingdom and Indonesia tied for third place with 6 percent each. This graphic illustrates which countries tweet most frequently by giving more active nations a larger portion of space on the "map." (credit:Oxford Internet Institute)
How Much We Love Our Celebs(05 of15)
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Humanity adores its celebrities, and Twitter is just one of many avenues available for stalking pop stars. Lady Gaga has over 27 million followers on Twitter, meaning that her clan of "little monsters" is larger than the entire state of Texas. Justin Bieber isn't too far behind, recently acquiring 25 million followers and a dance of jubilee from Twitter employees. (credit:AP)
Where We Get Our News(06 of15)
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According to a 2012 Pew study, Facebook tends to provide more news from friends and family, while Twitter is more likely to provide journalistic news. And even still, both social media platforms provided less news than originally hypothesized. [Hat Tip: Adam Sherk] (credit:Pew Research Center)
How Twitter Birds Of A Feather Flock Together(07 of15)
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This graphic shows Twitter users who shared at least three New York Times articles from Sept. 14 to Sept. 29 in 2011. The study, from the New England Complex Systems Institute, found that while Twitter brings many users together, we typically connect with like-minded souls online. "A person who is cosmopolitan associates with others who are cosmopolitan, and a US liberal or conservative associates with others who are US liberal or conservative, creating separated social groups with those identities," said Yaneer Bar-Yam, president of NECSI.[Hat Tip: Plectic Ltd] (credit:New England Complex Systems Institute)
That Older Folks Need Connections Too(08 of15)
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The University of Alabama surveyed nearly 8,000 people in 2012, finding that participants over the age of 50 who used Twitter (and Facebook) were one-third less likely to develop symptoms of depression than those not using social media. So maybe it's time to get grandma a Twitter handle? (credit:AP)
How Often We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends(09 of15)
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Infographic Labs data in February of 2012 found that 69 percent of users say they follow certain people on Twitter because of suggestions from their friends. (credit:Infographic Labs)
When Popular Culture Is Going Viral.. Even If It Shouldn't (10 of15)
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Throughout 2011, Rebecca Black's hit (?) "Friday" was the most-discussed song around the Twittersphere. (Our bets are on Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" for 2012!) "Thor" was also the most tweeted about film, and "Pretty Little Liars" scored the most Twitter clout for television. Within the last week, both "Batman" and "The Dark Knight Rises" have been trending in cities across the U.S. (credit:AP)
Which Corporations Want To Join The Conversation(11 of15)
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According to data from public-relations firm Burson-Marsteller, Fortune Global 100 firms are most active on Twitter, using this platform more than Facebook or YouTube, as of 2012. Maybe a bit surprisingly, this has been the trend since 2010 when Burson-Marsteller first began collecting data. Some of those companies include Exxon, Wal-Mart, GM and Honda. [Hat Tip: All Twitter]
How Sports Bring Tweeps Together(12 of15)
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According to Mashable, we tweet heavily during sporting events. In the 2012 European Championship for soccer, there were 15,358 tweets sent per second, and during the last minutes of the 2012 Super Bowl, 10,245 tweets were sent per second. Some close runner-up events were Tim Tebow's overtime touchdown pass on Jan. 8, 2012, as well as two moments from the 2012 FIFA Women's World Cup. (credit:AP)
When We 'Fail Whale' And Have Low Self-Esteem(13 of15)
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Just like in the real world, we're always looking for more friends on Twitter. And now, if you're willing to spend a little cash, you can purchase fake followers from online services to bloat your self-esteem. Gizmodo reports that this growing trend isn't technically an illegal Twitter activity, but "[y]ou'll feel disgusted and guilty because you just paid actual money for fake followers on a website, and, man, blech, come on." (credit:Twitter)
That Women Are More Social (And Maybe Becoming More Tech-Savvy)(14 of15)
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There are more women than men on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, according to Digital Flash NY, which also means you might see more women entering the tech field soon. "Increasingly the people who are using these social media platforms are women," said Sarah Leary, co-founder of social networking site NextDoor, in an interview with HuffPost. "So it's not surprising that women are increasingly playing a larger role in leading these companies or founding these companies." (credit:Digital Flash NY)
What Topics Send Tweeters Into A Tizzy(15 of15)
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Hashtags signify Twitter's popular topics, and throughout the last year there was plenty to tweet about. The most used hashtag of 2011 was #egypt, referring to that country's revolution that occurred during the Arab Spring. Charlie Sheen was also having his highly-mediated meltdown around that time, pushing that famous tag he coined, #tigerblood, to second place. Ironic or witty hashtags also made the list, like #idontunderstandwhy and #improudtosay. [Hat Tip: Time] (credit:AP)
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