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US Student reveals book visit a hoax

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From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!

Saturday, December 24, 2005

On Devember 24, 2005, two Massachusetts newspapers reported that a University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth student has admitted to falsely claiming a visit from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security over a library book. The student has since revealed that his story was a hoax.

The story was first reported in the New Bedford Standard-Times on December 17, 2005. This hoax was widely disseminated by other news and opinion outlets, including Wikinews. The student has not revealed his motivation for the hoax; however, he was taking a class on totalitarianism at the time, and a possible extension of the U.S. Patriot Act was being debated in congress.


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"U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security visit Dartmouth student over library book" — Wikinews, December 19, 2005

Sources

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  • Aaron Nicodemus. Federal agents' visit was a hoax (Student admits he lied about Mao book) — Standard-Times, December 24, 2005
  • Jonathan Saltzman. Student's tall tale revealed (Confesses fabricating US surveillance story) — Boston Globe, December 24, 2005


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