A viral message circulating on social media platforms warns people not to pick up pen-like objects found on roadsides, claiming they are “pen bombs” that can explode when opened or clicked. However, our investigation found that the images are being misrepresented and there is no evidence that the pens shown in the viral posts are […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Two separate social media posts, both presenting fabricated statements attributed to Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, circulated widely on Facebook this week. The first claimed he announced a Presidential Commission to investigate General Kamal Gunaratne over events at the Nandikadal Lagoon during the final days of the war. The […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel: Click Here Several false social media posts have been widely circulated attributing fabricated statements to Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena regarding the Upcountry Railway Line, which suffered severe damage from Cyclone Ditwah in late November 2025. Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka investigated three separate claims connected to this theme across […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel When grief is weaponized for political scoring, fact-checkers have a responsibility to name it clearly. Following the sudden death of Nivin Kumarapperuma, son of President’s Counsel and NPP Matara District parliamentary candidate Upul Kumarapperuma, a wave of condolences came from across the political spectrum. Among those who paid their final […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Scroll through Tamil social media on any given day and you will find someone selling a miracle cure for hair loss. The pitch is always the same: 16 or 48 or 65 Ayurvedic herbs, a mysterious animal ingredient, guaranteed results in weeks, all-island delivery. The latest product making this circuit […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Two separate social media posts made serious criminal allegations about former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and Retired Major General Jagath Dias. The first claimed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had launched an investigation against Shavendra Silva over the alleged massacre of civilians in the Wellamullivaikkal area. The second claimed […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Some hoaxes refuse to die. A voice message claiming that ISIS operatives are posing as NGO workers across Sri Lanka, visiting homes under the guise of collecting blood samples and injecting people with the HIV virus has been circulating on WhatsApp and social media since at least 2014. It spread […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel A deeply disturbing report has been circulating on social media claiming that a brother hacked his younger sibling to death in the Dikwella area of Matara district, Sri Lanka. The post attracted wide sharing and significant alarm among especially among Tamil online communities. Fact Crescendo investigated to determine whether any […]
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Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel When a prominent and controversial religious figure is at the center of a legal dispute involving a luxury apartment, social media rarely waits for the full story. Posts circulated widely claiming that Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and his associates had forcibly seized and refused to vacate a high-value property […]
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As excitement builds around the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, social media users have been sharing claims that FIFA has banned face paint from stadiums. The claim appears to have gained traction after FIFA released updated stadium regulations and a list of prohibited items for spectators. However, our review […]
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