You knew this was bound to happen.
After a month of frightening news about the coronavirus, conspiracy theorists have all sorts of ideas about where it came from, some even claiming that it was planned.
A new report in Wired magazine calls the coronavirus outbreak a "petri dish for conspiracy theories."
It says misinformation is spreading on Facebook and Twitter. The two social media platforms are now fighting to stop the spread of hoaxes, according to Marketwatch.
Three conspiracy theories
The first theory: the novel coronavirus started with people in Wuhan eating bat soup. It did not.
That now infamous photo of an Asian woman dining on bat (that has been shared millions of times) is actually 4 years old, and was not even taken in China.
The second theory: it was a bio weapon that escaped from a Chinese military lab in Wuhan. It was not.
The third theory: the US government knew it was coming for at least a year, because Lysol bottles last year had labels stating Lysol "kills human coronavirus." How could Lysol have known about it, if the virus had not been born yet?
In addition to Lysol, some claim bleach makers knew about coronavirus in advance.
But TruthorFiction.com explains that coronaviruses have been around for decades: SARS and MERS are two earlier versions.
This type is new (why it is called "novel"), and Lysol has not yet been proven to kill it.
So think twice before sharing conspiracy theories and don't waste your money.
___________________________
Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Like" John Matarese Money on Facebook
Follow John on Twitter (@JohnMatarese)
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com